Galloshire Chronicles
by Futago no Akuma Shimai
Summary: Knowledge is power. Maize did not feel powerful. This world was often unforgiving and cruel. And yet, she had found the most unsuspecting thing of all in its midst. Love, in the form of a barbed, shadowed smile and haunted blue-green eyes. No one won the Hunger Games. You just survived it. (RATED T/M) (B/c it's the HUNGER GAMES)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:** Life is an Unexpected Journey

Before she'd realized exactly where she'd been born, Maize Nettle Galloshire had always adhered to the concept that life was an unexpected journey and, much like a certain Headmaster once stated in her once favorite book, that death was only the next great adventure. Even then, it was still a great surprise for her to awaken following her death. Before she was Maize Galloshire the eldest daughter of two hardworking farmhands, she was a simple young woman named Juliana Santos the only beloved child of a Puerto Rican family.

But that was before. Before she died. What a strange concept it was to acknowledge. That she had died once. That her first parents were forced to mourn the untimely death of their only child. That she could come to love her new parents, Libra and Alder Galloshire, as much as her first parents. And as time passed on, the memories she had of her first life began to fade around the edges as new ones began to replace them until she could only remember the basics of that life.

Her infanthood had been a strange and terrifying moment of her new life as Maize. She'd been so confused. By everything really. The language spoken by her new family was different from her first language and nothing like the ones she'd been forced to learn during secondary school back in Puerto Rico. It vaguely resembled English, if she was forced to compare it to any language from her old world. Because essentially that's what it was, her new life had to be occurring in a whole new world. Once she'd finally began to piece together the language and actually understand the conversations being held by the adults in her new life, she quickly realized it wasn't anything like the world she had grown up in the first time around.

She doubted that the superpowers of her old world, like the United States, would have let such a country like the one she lived in continue without there being war. Panem, a name that would tickle the recesses of her memories for years until she'd finally make the horrifying connection when she was five years old, was unlike any other nation she'd ever imagined actually existing. The power balance between its subjects and rulers (because that was essentially what it was) was disgusting. It reminded Maize of the many failed attempts of Communism in her old world, but worse since there wasn't even a vague attempt of equality and shared commerce between the Districts and the Capital. Panem was separated into twelve distinct Districts that each specifically manufactured different goods for the Capital to flourish.

Maize was born into one of the poorer Districts. Ironically District 11 was known throughout Panem for its Agriculture. She hadn't really understood when she was younger why it was that she would see her parents go hungry some nights, after all they were farmers! Couldn't they simply harvest some crops and eat them? Maize soon realized after her vision cleared and became sharper as she left infanthood behind and traded it for toddlerhood, that the men-in-white (she'd once compared to Storm Troopers from the Star Wars movies that her dad was obsessed with) or Peacekeepers as she would come to know and fear them as, would viciously discourage thievery of the groves.

The first time Maize saw a man, no child because the boy couldn't have been older than sixteen, whipped to death she was two. The Peacekeepers had made it a public spectacle, forcing almost half of the District to witness the event, including the boy's emaciated and heartbroken family. Her mother, little Maize attached to her back in a sling wrap, had been pulled out of the line to receive the weekly amount of grain assigned to their family and dragged into the square. The teen's shirt had already been ripped off and arms were bound in the manacles attached to the post as he kneeled before them on the podium. His younger siblings were crying helplessly, the youngest one pulled into the chest of an old woman, their Bibi/Grandmother. Once a sufficient crowd had been gathered, the head Peacemaker made a quick speech about it being the 'offenders' third and as a result last offense against the Capital.

Two Peacekeepers that had been standing on the side then moved towards the shaking teen and proceeded to flay the boy's skin until his screams of pain and heaving chest stopped. Maize had been so horror-struck that she couldn't turn away from the gruesome sight, even as her mother had unwrapped her and turned her young eyes away from the tragedy occurring in front of them. Even the hushed sobs of other young children in the crowd couldn't help drown out the sounds of the whips digging- breaking the teen's skin and the subsequent shouts of pain, nor the horrified pleadings from the boy's family.

It wasn't until Maize and her mother returned home that evening that she'd come out of her shock. Even a week after the event, whispers continued to follow. The boy, Kudzu, had been desperate to get food for his starving siblings following the death of their parents. Their grandmother wasn't making enough money to feed the five young children and Kudzu's stipend wasn't enough to barter for even one pound of grain. He paid dearly for getting caught.

Her family's poverty wasn't their own doing, hell the poverty of her District wasn't their own doing, it was because of the Peacekeepers. It was because the Capital had made it so. Her hatred for them was born that day.

Her horror and hatred only continued to grow from that day. It was when she was five years old when she realized exactly where she'd been reborn. Her oldest cousin Aloe, a sweet and caring twelve-year old who had always told the most fantastic stories as they helped pick fruits in the orchard, was reaped for the 57th Hunger Games.

Yes.

_Hunger Games._

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**Words: 985**

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**Author's Note:** Hey Guys! I'm experimenting with this concept idea for the Hunger games that simply would not leave me alone. Chapters are going to be short but numerous! Let me know if you'd like them to be longer!

_Edited: Oct. 20, 2019_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: **No one Wins the Games.

Maize was horrified. Before then, she had been obliviously unaware of the Games. Her parents never mentioned the accursed events in the house and many of the adults purposefully avoided the subject around young children in an attempt to preserve the innocence of the kids for as long as they could. The Games were taboo to speak of. Especially around the Orchard and other farming areas where Peacekeepers practically breathed on their backs as they supervised their work.

It was the first reaping she had witnessed; Maize had been so confused as the colorful and flamboyant Capitolite man introduced himself and the event before screening the small clip about the Dark Days and the War that had led to the creation of the Games. Maize had stared up at the screen in acute horror as the events of a trilogy she'd once read as a child in her first life started to come back to her and realization dawned upon her mind. This was real. It wasn't simply a twisted post-apocalyptic _Game_ from a book series she'd once read.

It was _real_.

Aloe was in the crowd of children.

Dread had crawled up her spine and she'd gripped onto the hand of Aloe's six-year-old sister and her favorite playmate, Amla. Her female cousin was only physically a year older than she and didn't know why everyone was so afraid of what was happening around them but even fear hadn't managed to pass over her as the reaping continued. Her cousin, a boy who had yet to even become a teen was in a crowd of children waiting- praying not to be reaped for a gladiator-style match to the death.

Maize's mother had originally gone to bring silent comfort and support for her sister and brother-in-law as they waited in the crowds with other concerned parents and ergo so had she. Maize had watched in silent despair as her mother had to hold her sister back and bury the woman's face into her collarbone to prevent her Aunt's sobs from gaining the attention of the Peacekeepers when Aloe's name had been called. Her Uncle had just stared rigidly at the Panem insignia, his hands balled into furious fists as he trembled in visible rage. Maize couldn't prevent the tears brimming in her eyes from falling as Amla also burst into tears. No one volunteered to take his place.

They were allowed a measly five minutes filled with hugs and kisses, sobs and soon to be broken promises of return, before the Peacekeepers dragged them away and Aloe boarded the sleek futuristic train to what was sure to be his death.

Aloe had looked so small compared to the other tributes chosen for the Hunger Games.

Aloe never came back home.

Her parents had allowed her to watch the beginning of the Games. Seeing the crowds in the Capitol go wild as twenty-four children were paraded around in fancy costumes being pulled by chariots, had disgusted Maize. Aloe's interview with Caesar Flickerman was painful to watch, but not as painful to witness the brutal death of her cousin in the blood bath during the first five minutes of the Games. Her parents hadn't let her watch the rest. Not that she had complained too much, her grief and sorrow consuming her much like the rest of her family.

It was two weeks later that her mother had dragged her sister's family to live with them in their home. The small family had broken with the death of their child. Her mother had whispered to her during one of the sleepless nights following Aloe's death that family was a precious commodity, even more precious than the grain and fruit they needed to eat to survive. Family was all one had in the end, and to be able to care and hold that family was the biggest gift one could have. In a world where children could be ripped away from the arms of their families and forced to fight... Maize understood, she understood something that a real child her age shouldn't have to. Her mother had held her tight that night. And the following night, and every night after that for months.

Amla didn't have that comfort for very long.

When the winner of the Games, a sixteen-year-old from District 10, visited during the Victor's Tour six months later, Maize had stood stoically by Amla's side as her cousin sobbed in her arms. Her Aunt had fallen ill soon after her son's death and never recovered, nothing her mother would do helped and Amla was forced to watch her mother wither away and die soon after her brother had. Maize silently promised that she would be the strong tree her cousin needed to lean on from then on.

Her heartbroken Uncle Banyan was held in the comforting arms of both her parents as he struggled to stand on the podium out of grief. His tears were silent in nature as they streamed down his dark skin. Her mother's cries were also silent as her chest rose, her rounded belly pressing into her Uncle's side. Maize's father showed no visible emotion as he held onto them, but his eyes were filled with grief.

The new Victor had refused to look at the podiums with families of the fallen tributes. She hadn't killed Aloe, but she had been allied with the teen who had, and she had killed their female tribute Azolla. Despite the role she played in the death of her cousin, Maize couldn't find it in her to hate the girl. Grief seemed to cling to the Victor's form. Her voice monotonous and without inflection.

The brief eye contact she had with the Victor had made the teen almost flinch away, the girl's green eyes screamed that she was broken and remorseful. That's when she learned possibly the most important lesson in her new life.

No one really _won _the Games.

They just _survived _them.

Everything that followed after that was still survival in a different seemingly less dangerous setting.

No matter how seemingly arrogant or self-assured the Victor seemed to pose on the camera to the nation as they were paraded from District to District.

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**Words: 1,021**

_Edited: October 20, 2019_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: **Don't Ask Me/ To Follow Where You Lead

The humid air clung to the light cotton material of Maize's plain grey work shirt, her shorts were made of this spandex material that gripped onto her sweaty skin and didn't allow for the light breeze circulating through the orchard to grace its presence.

"A young man walked through the forest/ With his quiver and hunting bow../ He heard a young girl singing/ And followed the sound below." Maize sang softly under her breath as she nimbly climbed the tree in front of her. She had long grown used to the weight of the peck basket on her back and it made no difference to her as she made it to her destination and began to pick the ripe apples hidden in the upper branches before depositing in the basket behind her.

"There he found the maiden/ Who lives in the willow../ He called to her as she listened/ From a ring of toadstools red.." Edelwyse, a girl who had been her friend since they were in diapers, sung along from where she was picking on the tree next to her.

It was a long-standing tradition for the fruit picking children to sing folksongs as they worked. Each song was unique to their district and held hidden lessons for them to learn. Soon a symphony of children began to sing together the tragic tale of 'The Willow Maid' and the greedy man who coveted her for himself. Mockingjays, a hybrid bird of a mockingbird and the genetically modified jabber jay created by the Capitol, flying above them began to whistle the tune alongside them.

As soon as her peck basket was full she scampered back down and handed the full one to Amla, her cousin would inspect each fruit by hand before separating them into groups (the most beautiful ones were bound to go to the Capitol while the others would be distributed to the Districts), who would then hand her an empty peck and Maize would climb up the tree once more. Their work song continued to fill the air. The Willow Maid's home had been desecrated by the man and was being forced to leave.

"She followed him out the forest/ And collapsed upon the earth.../ Her feet had walked but a distance/ From the green land of her birth..." she sang morosely along with the voices of her fellow workmates, the images of children- tributes- human sacrifices being forced to leave their homes and compete in the Hunger Games. "She faded into a flower/ That would bloom for one bright eve.../ He could not take from the forest/ What was never meant to... leave..."

The mockingjays continued to whistle the haunting melody above them as they finished singing their tale. It had been a little over five years since Aloe had passed in the 57th Hunger Games. Maize herself had turned ten years old last month and was already silently dreading the next two years before she would be forced into the reaping.

Her mother had given birth to three more children since then and was even expecting once more. Though Maize's new sibling would not be born for another eight months. Her brother Birch had been born three months after the Victor's Tour. And the twins had been born two years ago. Brier and Piper were absolutely adorable, even if her brother had been initially disappointed that they were girls. Maize absolutely loved having siblings. It was something she never got to experience the first time around, and she found herself growing extremely overprotective of them.

Even then she couldn't believe that her parents would bring more children into this cruel world. It didn't really make sense to the logical part of Maize's mind. How could her parents have children if they knew that their fate was to eventually partake in the reapings? Not to mention that they struggled to make ends meet and feed themselves when it was just the three of them. It all came down to the lack of education that was available in District 11. Birth control didn't exist, the Capitol probably wouldn't condone it either if her District knew of its existence or the possibility of it. After all, every child born was either a potential tribute or a new worker to care for the fields.

It wasn't easy for Maize to internally come to terms with the idea that she actually knew more about how things functioned (especially body wise) than her parents. In her first life, her dad was the smartest man she'd ever met. He was a successful surgeon. And even then, he never stopped wanting to learn more and widen his knowledge.

Birch was berry picking along with their mother, while their Nyanya watched the twins at home. Their Nyanya was her father's mother, she had come to live with them the year after her Uncle Banyan was executed by Peacekeepers.

He'd been caught planning a revolt against the Peacekeepers during a particularly bad harvest, a truly foolish endeavor according to a hushed and devasted conversation Maize had heard her parents have. Amla had been devastated by the death of her father but surrounded by the love of her remaining family she stood strong. Maize felt for her cousin. The girl had experienced true tragedy at such a young age.

Before then her Nyanya had been living with her father's sister, Calla, and her family. Maize loved having her Nyanya living in the house. The old woman had been alive for seventy years and could still vaguely remember the years before the Hunger Games came into fruition and the Rebellion that led to the destruction of District 13. The woman would tell her whispered tales in the dark of the night after a particularly grueling day of working on the plantations.

"When you walk through the storm/ Hold your head up high/ And don't be afraid of the dark..." The small but powerful voice of Orchid Thresh sung out from a couple of trees away called out.

The sun continued baring down upon Maize's shoulders, her muscles began to protest tiredly under the strain of her workload. But she knew better than to stop. It may have been nearing three in the afternoon but if a Taskmaster, a Peacekeeper in charge of making sure that they were completing a job, noticed that she was taking a break she'd get three lashes before being forced to climb once more.

"At the end of the storm/ Is a golden sky/ And the sweet silver song of the lark/ Walk on through the wind/ Walk on through the rain..." more voices joined in with the eight-year-old's choice of inspiration.

Maize breathed in wetly, ignoring the sweat coating her body and the sun's rays kissing her olive tanned skin, and let her voice join her District partners in song, "Though your dreams be tossed and blown/ Walk on, Walk on/ With hope in your heart/ And you'll never walk alone!"

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**Words: 1,159**

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**Author's Note:** I don't own any of the music that this fic will share. I thought it would be fitting for this story to share music that will reflect District 11 as well as other Districts (because of Rue). Let me know if you have any suggestions.

_Edited: October 23, 2019_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: **The Youngest to Come Out

Her first reaping was in a word _terrifying_. She'd spent the week leading up to the Games in a panic and generally sleep-deprived, waking up with screams trapped in her throat every night. Her parents were no help either. They kept shooting her and Amla worried and sorrowful glances when they thought she couldn't see. Maize's mother, in particular, was prone to randomly bursting out into tears for a month before the reaping took place.

Amla took her second reaping like a champ, considering that she'd signed up for the tesserae and her name was signed up four times. Her cousin had quietly confessed to her the evening prior that Maize had nothing to fear when it came to the reapings. That for Maize, Amla would always _volunteer_ and take her place. If anything, it only made Maize even more apprehensive about the Games.

(_She couldn't protect Amla if the girl volunteered for her. Hell, she couldn't protect anyone now under the cruel hands of the Taskmasters and Peacekeepers_).

She wasn't too afraid of death. After all, she'd _died_ once. But that didn't mean she wasn't afraid of suffering. There were worse things than death after all. (And what she could still vaguely remember happening to the Victors of the Hunger Games fell under that category). Maize couldn't help but feel in her heart that what had happened to her was an anomaly. Remembering one's previous life had to be a fluke, an error in the grand scheme of things.

But her cousin wasn't like her. Amla really was just an ordinary child compare to Maize. A thirteen-year-old who'd been forced to grow up too fast because of the harsh environment around them. That child had promised to volunteer for Maize, who while physically a twelve-year-old was already mentally in her thirties. That would never be allowed to happen. She didn't care if Amla would never forgive her, but Maize refused for her beautiful sweet cousin to die for her in such a brutal _Game_ being staged by their government.

The only thing she really feared when it came to the Hunger Games was losing _herself_. Death was nothing in comparison to killing children in the manner that was expected in the Games. She had done things in her first life that she hadn't been proud of, but there was something about the very concept of having to take a life that made Maize's skin crawl. Something that felt _unforgivable_.

It was strange.

She didn't blame or hate the Victors of the Games. (Except maybe pity the Victors/tributes from the Career Districts, since some of them genuinely didn't seem to understand why the Hunger Games were inherently bad. They'd been raised to be bloodthirsty and that it was an honor to represent and even die for their District). They didn't ask to be reaped. They didn't ask to be placed in the arena. When it came down to it, they were children who'd only been given two options.

Fight or die.

Most of them just wanted to go home.

So, no. Maize didn't judge or begrudge the actions that they'd chosen in order to go home.

But when it came to herself, the idea of taking a life _just _so that she could prolong her own... simply felt wrong and unforgivable. She was already living a prolonged life as it were. Maize had her chance at life when she was Juliana. And she'd squandered it away and died. Maize hadn't stood apart from the masses and deserved to have another shot at life. She hadn't.

In a way, deep down buried under _forgetaboutit_'s, she'd always felt like she'd body-snatched her life as Maize. Like she'd stolen the life of a little curly brown-haired girl. Like she'd already killed the _soul_ that originally inhabited this body. If she was to take a life under Maize's hands, she'd truly be damned...

Anyway, Maize was getting ahead of herself. After all, her name and Amla's hadn't been called to participate in the 65th Hunger Games. Thank any deity that existed that they hadn't. That was the year that the youngest tribute to ever win the Hunger Games became a Victor. Finnick Odair, a handsome fourteen-year-old from District Four, decimated his competition with his trident (a gift from an infatuated Sponsor) and skillful use of nets.

Finnick Odair who would _become_ a Capitol Heartthrob and Golden boy.

Finnick Odair who would be _forced_ to give his body over to the Capitol's highest bidder under the guise of a willing lover by the President.

Finnick Odair, who despite his _suffering_ and _hatred_ for the Capitol, would use the opportunity to learn as many Capitol secrets as he could.

Finnick Odair who would be _vital_ for the Mockingjay and revolution to win against the Capitol.

Finnick Odair who would _never_ taste the true freedom he craved from the Capitol.

Finnick Odair who would be _murdered_ by mutts in the bowls of the Capitol.

Yes. _That _Finnick Odair won.

When the broken teen with a wide –_fakefakefakefake-_ smile had been paraded into her District for the Victor's Tour, Maize had been close by to the stage amongst the other twelve-year old's. She'd only locked her hazel eyes with his sea-green ones for a moment, but Maize could only hope that her eyes had reflected her sorrow and hope, that he could see how sorry she was that he had to continue on with the charade. By the flinch and widening of his eyes, perhaps Odair had picked up on something. He was the youngest Victor ever produced by the Hunger Games, and perhaps, he would suffer the most because of it.

Maize promised herself when rumors of his lewd exploits with Capitolite women began to reach the ears of the Districts, that if she ever found herself in a position to speak with the blonde Victor, she'd warn him.

If there was one thing that her mind had latched onto after she realized where she'd been born, was that Finnick Odair hadn't _deserved_ the ending he'd been handed at the end of the series.

"So hear my battle cry/ I'm out for blood to claim what's mine..." she cried out loudly in song, ignoring the tears threatening to fall as she picked fruit after fruit.

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**Words: 1,033**

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**Author's Note:** Finnick has appeared! Enjoy it! (He won't appear again for a long. LONG time. This is going to be the slowest of slow-burns).

_Edited: October 23, 2019_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: **Count my Ribs, Tesserae

Maize had never experienced starvation in her first life.

She didn't care for it.

Her District hadn't had a Victor since the 45th Hunger Games, and the people were beginning to feel it. Whenever a District's tribute won, the District was gifted with bigger rations of food and materials, but it'd been so long since they had gotten that relief in the form of a Victor. There were times when she was younger that her parents would go without food, but only one missed meal a day. Now all of her family was missing meals. She hadn't eaten anything for the last two days. That combined with her heavy workload had Maize feeling extremely weak. Her hands trembled violently even as they hung listlessly at her side; Maize's knees felt week under her, but the blame couldn't be solely put upon her starvation.

She was going to sign up. Maize could do this. She was no coward. Her siblings would not go hungry today. The Hunger Games would be starting in two weeks and she was finally old enough to sign up for the tesserae. She technically should have been allowed to sign up last year during her first reaping, but her twelfth birthday had missed the cut off date to sign up for the tesserae. Her parents and grandmother had forbidden Maize from signing up, but they hadn't applied the same rules to Amla who had signed up nine times. Amla's name was in the pool a total of thirteen times this year. Apparently, her cousin's life wasn't as important as hers.

It had angered her how her baba was so willing to risk Amla's life, but not the life of his first daughter. Even if it meant that they would all continue to starve. They needed the grain and oil provided to survive. Her baba, who hadn't eaten in five days, had collapsed in the berry-picking fields yesterday and earned himself five lashings. Her grandmother was practically invalid at home, stuck in bed as she watched the twins and her baba. Maize's mother was in the fields, with tiny Hibis strapped onto her back. Even Hibis was suffering from the lack of food, their mother wasn't producing enough milk to keep the youngest Galloshire from the effects of malnutrition. His tiny belly distended and limbs thin. All of her siblings looked like that,

Hell. She looked like that.

Baby fat was nonexistent on her face, her arms and legs thin and built with compact muscles from all of her work. Her stomach would've been flat and _even_ toned if she wasn't suffering from malnutrition. Maize wasn't as bad off as some of the other children in her District, there were poorer families, but her tummy did poke out a bit in the front. It was strange. And she often just felt like a balloon filled with helium. Bloated and yet empty all at once.

Maize stood in the line filled with other desperate children waiting to sign their lives away for food. _How depressing. _Amla was working in the orchard with Birch and had already signed up the day before on the opening day for the tesserae, so she wasn't afraid of running into her cousin. She kept her head down anyway, looking at her dirty sandal-clad feet and playing with the loose threads of her work shirt. There were only five others left in front of her.

She wanted to cry.

Her mind was often at war with her body's reactions. But she swallowed up her fear and forced herself to be strong. This was for her family.

Maize would never regret it.

She signed her name up nine times, one for each of the people in this new life that Maize couldn't live without. Her parents were furious when she'd come home with the new rations. But no one went to sleep hungry that night. Maize counted it as a win.

Her second reaping was much like her first. Uneventful compared to what happened after the Games were over. At least for her and the rest of the District.

The harvest has been particularly bountiful that summer. The Capital was lucky that the outbreak hadn't occurred until then. No one would have wanted for the poor Capitolites to miss their lovely strawberry jams with their breakfasts just because the outlying Districts can't drag themselves out of their sickbeds to harvest the crops.

Brier was sick. As was her Nyanya. They had come down with the pox, much like half of the District. But like others, her family could not afford medication. There had been whispers before the outbreak that the population in District 11 had grown at an alarming rate. More males had been born in their District in the last fifteen years than there ever had been. It had made the Peacekeepers..._anxious_. Her baba was convinced, as were more than half their neighbors as more bodies began to drop, that the pox outbreak was no accident. Even Piper was starting to feel feverish.

Amla and Birch had taken Hibis to their Auntie Calla's home since her family was being spared from the disease. Her mama was at home, vigil over the sick beds of their family while her baba went to his shift at the food processing factory. Maize was supposed to be working in the orchard, pruning branches and collecting any missed fruit, before heading off to the berry fields to do the same there.

But not today.

The Med-Bay was full of dying residents, crying family members, stressed doctors and irate Peacekeepers. The medicine to help cure the pox was expensive, three months' worth of rations for two, too expensive for most of the District to buy. Too expensive for Maize to buy. She only had one option. Maize would have to wait until a harried a nurse or a doctor left a cart unattended and _take _the meds. It was the only way that she would be able to get the lifesaving drugs back to her family.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and her knees threatened to buckle underneath her when a Peacekeepers blank mask seemed to trail after her form. She made herself busy by passing bandages to the nurse closest to her and then a green jar of ointment when asked. As soon as the eyes passed over her form, she prowled cautiously between cots and bodies until she could spot the cart full of meds being handed to the doctors in the waiting line. The administrator cursed when one bottle dropped onto the ground and rolled underneath some shelves but turned back to the line of doctors and continued to hand out meds.

This was Maize's chance. As slyly as she could, Maize passed by the line and pretended to trip over some discarded bandages. With her chest on the ground, she groaned while peaking under the shelves to see where the medication had rolled. The bottle had rolled on towards the back of the shelves, hidden behind dirty cobwebs and mothballs. Maize sat herself up, leaning against the shelves, as she stretched out her scraped knee in front of her and hissing exaggeratedly in pain. She bowed her back, leaning forward as if she was examining the wound more closely, before slyly letting her hand reach for the meds and stuffing it into her sleeve.

"Are you hurt girl?" a doctor asked as he walked by.

Maize shot her head up with a sheepish grin painted on her face, "I'm alright, tripped and scrapped ma knee."

The man stared at her now bleeding knee before nodding and ignoring her once more. She held back a relieved sigh before standing up gingerly. Maize couldn't just run out of here like the hounds of hell were upon her. She'd be caught for sure then. She carefully made her way back to the entrance of the Med-Bay before slipping out of the building and making her way to the living quarters.

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**Words: 1,333**

_Edited: October 23, 2019_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter ****Six:** The Post

As soon she was out of sight from any wandering eyes, she began sprinting towards their shack. Maize couldn't believe that she'd done it! She had successfully stolen the medication her sisters and Nyanya needed! Her heart was soaring, and her breaths came out giddily.

They already had a measuring device to calculate how much medication she needed to give everyone at home. Maize had spent her time in the Med-Bay carefully observing how the doctors administered the lucky few the medication, and she knew that the twins would need to get a smaller dose than their Nyanya. Her mother would be ecstatic! She burst into her home, ignoring her mother's surprised shout, and went straight into the cabinets to find the measuring device before grabbing it and running into the bedroom.

"What are you doin' child?" her mother exclaimed as Maize kneeled beside her.

"I got it mama!" she whispered excitedly as she pulled out the bottle from her sleeve, "I've been at the Med-Bay an' got the meds we need!"

The woman gasped softly, her red-rimmed hazel eyes wide with hope and disbelief, "H-How?

Maize carefully measured out the first dosage, "I saw a bottle roll under some shelves and took it when no one was looking. Here," she gestured as she handed it to her mother, "this is for Brier."

She sat up her weak little sister and supported her head as her mother pressed it onto the toddler's lips and commanded for her to drink it. Brier only whined for a moment before complying. They proceeded the process once more for Piper who had broken out into the characteristic boils known for the pox while Maize had been gone. It was only when Maize turned towards her sleeping grandmother that her mother stopped her.

"She passed away Maize." her mother whispered softly, "Happened this morning after ya left. I've been waiting for the diggers to arrive and collect her body."

She felt as if she were on fire.

"What?" she shuddered.

Mama pulled her into her arms before beginning to gently pet her hair, "It'll be fine, we'll be okay. Your Nyanya has gone to a better place. She was too sick. Was hurting. She's fine now."

A small sob escaped from her throat as tears began to seep down her face. She'd been too late to save her. She had failed.

It was evening when they came.

Her baba had taken the death of his mother as well as he could have. Though he was grateful that the twins were still among them. The diggers had taken her Nyanya's body soon after she'd arrived with the meds. It was the Peacekeepers that had stolen their grieving solitude from them.

Maize had been able to hear the marching feet of the Capitol's soldiers before she'd seen them. With those brief few seconds, she'd been able to grab the medicine they had left out and handed it her frightened mother, "Hide it." she hissed moments before the Peacekeepers barged into their shack.

A Peacekeeper grabbed her arm before dragging her out, ignoring the shouts and cries from her family, "Is this the girl Doctor Wheatway?"

The man in question was of average height and build for a District 11 man, but it was his face that caught Maize's attention. It was the doctor that had stopped and asked if she was alright when she tripped and stolen the medicine. She was in trouble. It was with that realization that the man in front of her stopped examining her and turned back to the Peacekeepers.

"This is the one."

Those four words were damning her. Maize's mother cried in the background in fear, "What has she done!?" her baba protested in an attempt to distract the men.

"Maize Galloshire you are being detained for stealing medical supplies from the Med-Bay." one Peacekeeper spoke up without inflection behind their voice. "How do you plead?"

Maize almost swallowed her tongue in fear before responding, "Not guilty."

The Peacekeeper holding onto her arm tightened his grip before growling out, "Guilty. We have all the evidence we need!"

Her mother broke out into sobs as her father was tackled by another Peacekeeper as he struggled to get to her. Only two things would be happening now, either she would be shipped off to the Capitol and become an Avox (slaves for the Capitol that had their tongues removed after a crime against the ideals of Panem) or she'd bee whipped to an inch of her life.

Maize couldn't figure out which fate was more terrifying.

"Where are the meds!?" the Peacekeeper holding onto her bellowed.

"I-I don't have 'em!" she lied fearfully, keeping her head low and eyes locked onto the ground.

"Twenty lashes!" the Peacekeeper bellowed, "For stealing from the Capitol and lying!"

She felt numb as she was dragged into the town square where she'd once seen a teen be whipped to death as a child. Peacekeepers were dragging families out of their homes behind her and forcing them into the square to watch. Her parents were dragged to the front, with the twins sobbing into their clothes, and forced to kneel. The Peacekeeper holding onto her kicked the back of her knees, forcing her onto the ground roughly and her arms were bound to the whipping post. Another ripped her shirt, forcing her bare back to be naked to all eyes watching.

Fearful tears began to slip down her face. She was so afraid. But Maize didn't regret her actions. Because of her, the twins would live.

"As penance for stealing supplies from the Med-bay, and lying for her transgressions, Maize Galloshire will receive twenty lashings! Let this be a warning to all! Thievery is forbidden!" the Head Peacekeeper declared before nodding to the man holding the whip behind Maize.

"One!" the man proclaimed, as he lifted the whip up and sliced the air and her skin with its force.

She couldn't hold back a scream, "Ahh!"

Her back was on fire!

"Two!"

The smack was loud and wet.

"Three!"

Tears were streaming down her face and onto the ground.

"Four!"

Each breath was gasped out between screams.

"Five!"

Blood was beginning to drip down her sides and cloud around her.

"Six!"

The cuffs around her wrists dug in painfully onto her sensitive skin as she arched her back and shouted.

"Seven!"

Her vision was beginning to cloud over.

"Eigh-"

* * *

**Words: Around 1,019**

_Edited: Oct. 23, 2019_

_(If you see a mistake please tell me)_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: **Battle Scars

It had taken Maize two months to fully recover from being whipped. After she had passed out from the pain, and her punishment dueled out, her distraught father had carried her on his back to his sister's home. Her Auntie Calla had been a nurse in the Med-Bay before the birth of her children and was the only one willing to help her after Maize's public whipping. Her back would forever bear the marks of the Peacekeeper's whip, but Maize found herself caring very little for it.

Brier and Piper were alive. That was all that really mattered.

During those two months of rest, she watched over her three youngest siblings while the rest of her family worked the fields. It was Blooming season (or flower picking season) and the northern fields were full of beautiful waves of different colorful flowers. When Maize was young and had first accompanied her mama to the _fleur _fields, she had felt as if she'd been dropped into an ocean of flowers and wonder. Now it was time to start harvesting the eastern fields once more and Maize was more than ready to escape from the suffocating hut and get to work.

Amla was of the opinion that she'd gone _mad _under the hands of the Peacekeepers and _that _was the reason why Maize was so eager for work. It wasn't true, obviously, if anything, spending one more day inside of the shack she called home would definitely send her off the deep end. All Maize really wanted to do was forget. Forget that she'd been so publicly punished. Forget that her baba now looked at her with shame (not at her for bravely stealing the medicine to save the twins, but at himself for not being able to protect Maize like a father should). Forget the reason her mother couldn't stand to look at her back. To forget that Maize hadn't stolen the medicine fast enough to save Nyanya.

In a way, the marks on her back were battle-scars.

She was proud of saving her sisters.

But they were also a testament of how she had so utterly failed her beloved grandmother.

The years continued to pass by quickly with each passing season. Her mother had born three more children in the last five years (when her parents had the time to even have _relations _was a mystery to not only her but Amla as well). A girl, Lilac, that was now three almost four, and more recently another set of twins. Two identical little boys named Balm and Gilead. Her mother was at her wit's end with all the little ones in the house, considering that Hibis had turned five last month.

Birch had only looked at her in silent despair, her sweet obedient brother would never complain to their parents, but when their mother had announced she was pregnant the last time with the boys... well, he was of the opinion that their parents had enough children to care for. Though he had been relieved that the second set of twins were boys. Piper and Brier, now nine, often drove him crazy with their girly antics. After all, flowers were not meant to be braided into the hair of a boy!

The only break between each harvest were the reapings, the damned Hunger Games and the Victory Tour that occurred six months after the Games. It was going to be Amla's last reaping this year, thank the heavens for that. Her sweet cousin had fallen in love with a sweet processor from the factories named Thorn Wheatgrove. Normally, Maize would have never been so accepting of the dark-skinned nineteen-year old's advancements on her cousin, but even she could see how Amla's eyes shined with love and wonder whenever Thorn was by her side. Her baba had even given the couple his blessing and both of their families were preparing the young couple their own shack to live in after their wedding.

The ceremony would be taking place two weeks after the reaping's, and not soon enough in the words of her besotted cousin.

Maize couldn't help but fear for her cousin's life even more this year. She was the only one Amla had confided in when the eighteen-year-old had broken down in panicked tears, her sweet cousin was pregnant. It wasn't uncommon for people in the District to marry young, often immediately after their last reaping, but it was another matter altogether for a teen to risk a pregnancy while still of reaping age. Maize's baba may have even rejected Thorn's request for her hand in marriage. It was a matter of shame for the bride's family if the young woman in question wasn't _pure _before the wedding. Maize's inner twenty-first century persona from her first life had been infuriated when she had found out about the stigma.

So, Maize had stood loyally by her cousin's side and promised her silence and support. In her first life, teen pregnancy had been frowned upon but not in the same way it was viewed in her new life. She didn't fear her baba's wrath or disappointment in the same way the Amla did. Maize's father loved her something fierce, but he'd always been strict with Amla (Maize blamed it on the way her Uncle Banyan had just thrown his life away, Amla's father had once been his best friend after all). The only other soul that knew of the secret pregnancy was a very dedicated and besotted Thorn. Amla was nearing the second month of her pregnancy now, and with the wedding in two weeks, they would be able to pass off the birth of the child as premature. Maize had attended many births after she started shadowing her Auntie Calla, including the births of Lilac and the twins, so she would be the one attending to her cousin when they announced the pregnancy.

Amla was not the only reason why this reaping was even more stressful for the Galloshire's than others. Birch had turned twelve this year, making him now an eligible contender for the Hunger Games. Her little brother was terrified under his mask of indifference and Maize had spent the night with the pre-teen sleeping restlessly between her and Amla. Her poor little brother had woken up from nightmares twice during the night, only calming when they would softly sing him back to sleep.

Her mother had cried herself to sleep this year.

Now he was standing in a sea of twelve-year-old boys waiting for a poor soul to be called and the reaping to end. Both of her parents had made it to this year's reaping and were standing corralled with the other worried folks. Even Thorn was in attendance. Maize stood solemnly in the crowd of her peers. Edelwyse, had been reaped the year before for the 69th Hunger Games. Her childhood friend had not fared well in the Games and had died during the bloodbath.

So now Maize stood by herself in the sea of other seventeen-year-olds'.

* * *

**Words: 1,145**

_Edited: Oct. 23, 2019_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: **Never in our Favor

The escort for District 11 was a _pink_-skinned woman (literally pink, somehow the Capitol had a way to actually permanently dye the color of one's skin and labeled it as a fashionable endeavor) with fuchsia-colored hair, wearing some scary-looking stilettos (that Maize would rather be caught dead than wear) in a _vibrant _gold monstrosity of a dress. Her voice was high-pitched and breathy as she spoke in the patented Capitol accent. It was grating. At least in Maize's humble opinion.

Tapping on the mic with a long colorful fingernail, a large plastic smile pulling on the corners of her golden lips the escort began, "Welcome, welcome! Welcome to the 70th Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor!" the woman paused, probably waiting for excited applause or cheers that would never come, "Let us all turn to the screens to view a very important clip coming straight from the Capitol!" she ended with a little squeal as the reel started.

The clip was the same as last year. Damn Capitol propaganda, promoting the bloody Games and the failed revolt by District 13 leading to the creation of the Capitol's favorite televised program, narrated by President Snow. Maize did not really struggle to make herself look interested and not disgusted (something that she couldn't help but feel no matter how many years had passed since she was born in this universe) when the camera filming the event passed over her section. She briefly locked eyes with another teen when Maize turned her face away from the camera, her fellow seventeen-year old's eyes reflected boredom and hatred. Maize was positive that her own were as well.

"Beautiful! What a wonderful message from our President!" she chirruped gleefully, "Now let us get on with the reaping's, shall we? It is time to see who will have the honor of representing this District! Ladies first!"

The escort approached a clear fishbowl looking container filled to the brink with the names of the girls in her District. The woman fingered a few of the envelopes before grabbing one decisively and teetering back to the mic. How the Capitolite simply didn't fall and break her neck wearing those _shoes _was beyond her. Maize hated this part. The escorts in an attempt to build up the suspense for the viewers in the Capitol would open up the envelopes tauntingly slow. And this time was no different.

"Amla Ludwig!"

Maize choked on a scream, making a gargled "Wha?" emit softly from her lips. The girl next her gave Maize a pitying glance. Of all the names! Why did it have to be _her _Amla!

"Amla Ludwig, where are you my dear?" the escort asked as she blindly searched the faces in front of her. Maize turned around and locked eyes with her shell-shocked and terrified cousin. Amla's vibrant chocolate eyes were already screaming sorrow and _defeat_. Before her cousin could even move, Maize shot her arm up and shouted.

"I volunteer!"

Amla's eyes were impossibly wide in her disbelief, and it only fueled Maize further as she confidently stepped out of the row and into the clear where Peacekeepers were waiting. The escort looked like she was about to wet herself in excitement. It was disgusting.

"A volunteer!" the woman gushed as Maize was marched up to the podium in front of the camera next to her. "We haven't had a volunteer in ages! Tell me, dear! What is your name?"

Maize wasn't sure what kind of expression was on her face, she could only pray that she didn't look terrified or worse full of contempt or hatred (that wouldn't win her any Sponsors or supporters in the Capitol), "Maize Galloshire." her voice was surprisingly strong and steady.

"What a wonderful turn of events! Ladies and gentlemen, District 11's female tribute: Maize Galloshire!"

No one clapped, but the escort (Maize really needed to learn the woman's name) didn't let that pierce through her excitement. "Now for our male tribute!" the woman tantalized the anxious crowd of male teens once more before plucking out a card, "Cana Fairgrovel!"

A –_familiar-_ horrified looking fourteen-year-old stumbled out before being escorted over. Cana lived in the neighborhood over from her own. He had three younger brothers, one of which (Ollie) was Brier's best friend and four older sisters that worked in the processing factory with Amla.

Cana wasn't like his siblings. He'd always been sickly, the first to fall under the spell of any illness going around the District. He'd come really close to death during the pox outbreak that had taken her grandmother. The only reason his mother had been able to get the medicine was because she'd gained the _favor _of a Peacekeeper. (And, though years had passed since then, Maize still _heard _the judging whispers from other women on how the mother had sold herself to Capitol scum, even if it was to save her child... people could be so cruel). Even so, Cana was thin and gangly. And unlike many of the teens in their District was free of any of the lean muscles gained from working in the fields.

Aloe's scared face overlapped Cana's.

He _wasn't _going to come home.

Maize silently promised herself, she would help the boy to the best of her ability. His family didn't deserve to see him go like this. Hell, Cana was a good boy. He didn't deserve to be _ruined _by the Hunger Games.

_(Finnick Odair's face flashed behind her eyes. 'No one won the Games' rang out in her mind like a mantra). _

The escort placed a dainty hand on both of their shoulders, "Shake hands."

Cana stiffly raised his hand towards her, and Maize gripped it in what she hoped was a comforting manner, shooting him a small smile in the process. It must have reassured him somehow since he lost some of the tenseness from his shoulders (though he still looked like was going to be sick) before they were made to stand apart once more with the escort between them.

"Our tributes for District 11! Maize Galloshire and Cana Fairgrovel!"

The last thing Maize saw as she was ushered into the Justice building was Amla's tearstained face, as her cousin clutched the fabric of her dress clinging to her stomach. As if she was shielding her unborn child from the cruelty of the reapings.

"Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!"

No matter what happened...

It was worth it.

Amla would live.

A small secret smile tugged onto the corners of her lips.

* * *

**Words: Around 1,054**

_Edited: Oct. 23, 2019_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: **Goodbyes are such Sweet Sorrow

Maize had been led to a beautifully furnished room, one of the like that she hadn't seen since her first life, as she waited for her family to arrive. Tributes were given an hour to say their goodbyes to their loved ones, before being marched to the train station where even more camera crews would be waiting to film their departure.

The door opening made her whip her head around to see who was entering. Her mother's tear-stained face rushed towards her. "Maize! My sweet baby!" she cried out as wrapped Maize into her arms. She was careful as she wrapped her arms around her mother, in an attempt to not bother the sleeping twins wrapped onto her mother's back.

"Why would you volunteer Maize?"

Maize looked up at the familiar gruff voice of her baba. He looked... heartbroken. Her eyes burned but Maize would not cry. She wasn't afraid of death, but she had come to love her second family and she worried for their futures.

"How could I not baba? It was Amla?"

He pinched his eyes shut, "I know. But Amla is older than you Maize and you- you are just a child."

She stepped out of her mother's arms before tentatively hugging her father, "Everyone that goes into the Hunger Games is a child. Besides, Amla is getting married. She has someone that loves her. Baba, you can't get mad at her. It was my decision. The moment I heard her name... The Games took Aloe, her whole family, they shouldn't take his sister too."

Her mother choked on a sob behind her.

"Mama, don't cry. We have to be strong for Birch, Brier and Piper, Hibis, Lilac, and the twins. Don't let them watch the Games mama. It will kill something inside of them." she whispered. Her mother raised her hand to cup Maize's cheek before pressing their foreheads together.

"My wise strange child." she murmured making Maize giggle wetly. It was practically an inside family joke that Maize was _strange _and often knowledgeable about random things. They'd labeled it as a weird tic of Maize's personality when she was a child, when she'd had less control over her mouth as she did now. And, heavens, if that didn't make Maize love her family even more for accepting her oddities.

Her father enveloped them both in a warm hug, "You can't give up Maize. You are strong. And you have what it takes to come home. Use that big brain of yours to make your way back to us."

A shudder ran through her body, "Yes baba."

The door opening ended the hug as a Peacekeeper announced that their time was up, her parents were reluctantly escorted out before Maize's tearful siblings burst in.

"Maize!" Birch wailed as he ran into her arms, followed closely behind Brier and Piper.

She wrapped them up in a hug, gently rubbing their backs, "Lay me down gently, lay me down low/ I fear I am broken and won't mend, I know/ One thing I ask when the stars light the skies/ Who now will sing me lullabies..." Maize sang softly until their tears stopped.

"Why did you do that Maize?" Brier asked with a sniffle as she gripped her twin's hand.

Maize smiled softly at her sisters, "I would do it for you too if I could so that you'd never have to go."

"But why did you have to!" Birch snapped.

"Amla is pregnant." Maize stated calmly before speaking in a graver manner, "You cannot tell baba. He wouldn't understand like you three would."

Their eyes widened comically, "Really?" Piper gasped.

Maize nodded, "You have to take care of Amla for me, just like she has always taken care of us. Promise me?" she demanded softly as she locked eyes with her conflicted little brother.

"I promise Maize." he spoke softly before his eyes hardened, fight barely hidden in his hazel eyes, "But you have to make me a promise too."

A lump formed in her throat. Maize wouldn't promise her brother something that she couldn't control. It was very likely that she would be dead in less than a month and she wasn't the type of person to throw out empty promises. Especially not to Birch. "What?"

"You have to try." he demanded, "_Really _try to come home. _Even _if you have to kill other tributes. I _need _you to come home."

A small pained gasp escaped from her lips. Maize shut her eyes, not wanting to meet her brother's, it killed her that Birch's innocence was taking a hit right before her eyes. He was growing up right in front of her. It wasn't fair.

She _wasn't_ afraid of death.

She _was_ afraid of how the Games would change her.

How they would change her siblings.

"I promise Birch."

The Peacekeeper opened the door once more, making her siblings clutch onto her desperately.

"No! Let go!" Piper shouted as she was lifted.

Brier cried out, "Please! No!"

Maize pressed one more fevered kiss onto Birch's forehead, "Take care of them for me Birch! You're their big brother! Don't lose your temper! I love you!"

"I love you too!" he sobbed as he was dragged out, "Just keep your promise!"

The room was silent for a minute. Maize had to breathe in and out deeply five times before she was able to force the tears from stopping. The door opened again and she was suddenly 'eating' curly black hair.

"You stupid idiot!" Amla sobbed, "Completely stupid! Self-sacrificing imbecile!"

Maize hugged her cousin tighter, "All this stress is not good for the baby... It'll be alright Amla."

"No it won't!" she snapped before peppering her face in kisses, "Thank you! Thank you!"

She smiled brightly at her cousin as Thorn kneeled down beside them and let Hibis and Lilac go from his arms. The five-year-old was quick to throw his arms around her neck, while her youngest sister shuffled closer. Hibis was afraid, it was plain to see on his little face, but he was also clueless to the events around him, not fully understanding what it meant for Maize to volunteer in their cousin's place. To go to the Capitol. To participate in the Hunger Games. Maize peppered him with kisses. Lilac was even worse, fear wasn't quite present on her features but her confusion and frustration was palpable. Maize pressed sweet kisses onto the girl's cheek making the toddler smile up at her widely.

"You have to be good for mama and baba, promise me Hibis." Her little brother simply nodded. "I'll be going away, so you need to be extra good, be nice to Lilac and look out for her. I have a very special mission for you: Birch, Brier and Piper might be a little short with you but that's because they are sad, so I need you to make them smile for me. Can you do that for me little _fleur_?"

Hibis sniffled before nodding seriously, "Yeah."

That only seemed to set Amla off into another round of sobs, startling Lilac into tears of her own, "Maize I can never repay you for this." Thorn spoke softly, his voice full of gratitude.

Maize smiled at him, "Just keep doing what you're doing. Take care of my cousin. And watch out for my brothers and sisters for me if I don't make it back."

"You have my word."

* * *

**Words: Around 1,190**

_Edited: Oct. 23, 2019_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: **Journey

Maize sat silently by the window. Her eyes trailing the scenery passing by as the train zoomed through the land. She was in her room now, well temporary room until they reached the Capitol, after being shown to it by the escort, Goldie Bell. The Capitolite was still annoying in Maize's opinion, but the woman couldn't be blamed for how she was raised. Maize could, however, hate Goldie's blindness to the pain and suffering of the tributes and the twelve Districts.

Their mentors for the Games couldn't be more different from one another. Seeder and Chaff had won back to back Hunger Games. Seeder was rather serious compared to the male Victor. Chaff spent the first hour on the train getting shit-faced drunk, but he was the only one who could make Seeder smile and relax somewhat.

Cana had taken the time to gorge himself on all of the food he could get his hands on in the car, despite her warnings not to, and as a result, had decided to try to go to bed early for a nap after he vomited the majority of the contents in his stomach. Maize would go check on him in a while with lighter food for him to eat that wouldn't upset his stomach. For now, though, Maize just watched the scenery pass her by through the window as she tried not to think back on the morose goodbyes she'd shared with her devastated family.

It was only a knock on her door that was able to pull Maize away from her thoughts and back to the present. "Come in."

Goldie poked her head in cheerfully, "Good! You're up! Come, come! The reapings are airing!"

Maize ignored the dread blooming in the pit of her stomach and stood up to follow the –_annoyingly_\- joyful Capitolite into the 'den' or lounge car where the two former Victors and her fellow tribute were waiting. It looked like poor Cana hadn't been able to turn in early for the night after all. She plopped herself down beside Cana and threw her arm over his shoulder so that the younger teen leaned on her frame.

"How're you feeling Cana? Did your stomach settle?"

Cana smiled sheepishly up at her, "A little."

The fourteen-year-old seemed to soak up the silent comfort she was giving him like a sponge. Maize hadn't been close to the younger teen, but with their little brothers as close friends as they were, it was impossible to not be dragged into each other's lives occasionally. The last time she was half-hugging him like this was when Maize had been giving Cana some advice over a girl he was crushing on. Apparently instead of helping Cana, his older sisters were set on heckling and teasing the awkward teen rather than helping him. Maize let herself sink into the comfortable cushions of the couch, and heavens it was soft (it was the softest thing she had ever sat on in this life), before turning her attention to the screen to watch the reapings unfold in the other Districts.

The tributes for the Career Districts looked particularly bloodthirsty this year and three of them were volunteers. That was going to be a problem. But they were also extremely arrogant, and that would be their downfall. There was one particular tribute that did catch Maize's attention. The female tribute from District 4, Annie Cresta.

The name rang bells in her mind until she finally made the connection. It was _that _Annie Cresta. The one that married Finnick Odair during the Second Rebellion in the series. All she could remember about Cresta's games was that there was a flood and that the Victor had gone _mad _after she had won the Games.

Maize wanted to cry.

She now knew what the arena would most likely be, probably a huge dam that would break during the 'finale' of the games, but now Maize _knew_... knew that she wasn't supposed to come home. Amla! Poor Amla! What would have happened to her dear cousin if she hadn't been born in this world? It would be Amla in her place, destined to die either at the hands of the other tributes or _drown_. Because Amla didn't know how to swim, no one in District 11 knew how to swim. They didn't have any large bodies of water in their District (though there was a lake outside of the Districts borders that was used for irrigation), so there was no way for the people of her District to learn.

(But Maize hadn't _always _been a farmhand in District 11. She was once a young woman from an island in the Caribbean. She had grown up chasing _olas_, and diving under the warm and salty water of the ocean. Maize knew how to swim, even if she hadn't had the chance to in the last sixteen years of her life. She was going to have to train her lungs again to hold her breath for long periods of time).

Annie Cresta was supposed to live. Maize didn't know what role the woman played behind the scenes but Finnick Odair had loved the woman in the series, married her the moment they escaped from the Capitol. Annie Cresta needed to live.

Didn't she?

For that to happen Cana had to die.

Hell, Maize had to die.

It was selfish.

Unbelievably so.

But Maize didn't really _want _to die.

She wasn't afraid of the great beyond or what would happen to her following death. But she loved her family. She loved her life, no matter how desolate and backwards it could be at times, loved it with all of her being.

And while she would do everything in her power to save Cana and try to bring him home... _if, _and only if, her District partner fell, Maize would fight with all of her being to go home. To go back to her family. Maize had made a promise to her brother, after all, she was many things but Maize had never made it a habit to directly lie to her siblings. Especially not to Birch. (He _was _her first ever sibling in the world, and she was prepared to fight all the Peacekeepers in Panem to make him happy).

Maize would _try _to come home.

Annie Cresta _was _the Victor for the 70th Hunger Games.

But Maize had a lot to fight for.

Maize _wants_ to go home.

She wasn't going to roll over and die because Annie Cresta was supposed to win the Games. Maize knew already that no won the Games, and Cresta hadn't come out unscathed originally, but Annie Cresta wasn't going to win the Hunger Games this time around.

Screw the consequences.

The rest of the reapings were rather... _unnoticeable _in comparison to that revelation.

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**Words: 1,115**

_Edited: Oct. 23, 2019_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: **The Station

Once she was able to get past the whole Annie Cresta debacle, and the fact that she really didn't _want _to die (wasn't _that _just a kick in the face, she hadn't afraid of death throughout her entire new lifetime and now she found herself fearful of never seeing her family once more), Maize was grateful for how her reaping was portrayed to the nation. The girl on the screen was confident (it spoke in her straight spine and even walk) as she volunteered, her eyes unafraid as she walked up onto the podium and spoke her name clearly. Maize was only happy that she hadn't made a fool of herself like she'd thought she had. However it was the small comforting smile, which hadn't as private as she'd hoped, that Maize had given Cana that seemed to have endeared her to Caesar Flickerman.

Apparently, she was a strong but caring girl, and the host of the Hunger Games wanted to know what had made Maize so confident to volunteer especially because she was a part of the outlying Districts (where volunteers for the Games were practically non-existent). Cana on the other hand was barely a blip on their radar. As if they had already written him off. (_Not on her fucking watch!_).

When the train arrived in the Capitol's terminal, it was full of excited Capitolites waiting to catch a glimpse of the 'lucky' tributes. Maize approached the window with her head held high before shooting the crowd a smirk and a wink before moving a curl out of her face delicately. The crowd seemed to go wild as they crowded the space, pushing each other to get closer to her.

Seeder's response was to pat her back in pride, "Good job, that's a good way to get Sponsors." the woman praised before turning to look at a pale Cana, "Why don't you come and _tease_ the citizens of the Capitol as well?"

"I-I don't think that's a good idea." Cana mumbled, "I feel like I'm gonna be sick."

Maize immediately moved to the teen's side to rub his back, "Hey, hey, Cana it's okay. Breathe deeply, you don't want to lose your breakfast."

His brown eyes filled with tears before he whispered softly, "It's _not_ going to be okay."

She gripped the back of his shirt tightly, as Cana rubbed his face. "I know."

No one wins the Games.

And Cana was _already_ losing.

Cana was ushered away by their disturbed looking escort as she began to brag about the wonderful sights of the Capitol. Seeder and Chaff only looked at Maize's District partner with pity and acceptance. They were already counting the skinny teen out. It filled her with rage. She was careful to keep it off her face.

Maize's mind was a million miles away versus where her body physically was.

She was currently being poked and prodded at by the stylist group assigned to her District in the Remake Center. Her prep group consisted of two flamboyant men (that were so feminine compared to the men in her District that it had taken her a moment to realize that they _were_ men) and one shyer woman. Of course, the three of them were extremely colorful and odd in their choice of fashion compared to the style of dress she'd gotten used to. Even when comparing the strange bubble/glass dress that Circo (one of the _male _stylists) was wearing to the strangest fashions she'd seen in her first life... it didn't even touch upon the craziness that Capitolites found beautiful or fashionable. (Lady Gaga, that American actress, came to her mind when she tried to find an accurate comparison for Capitol fashion).

In comparison to Amla, Maize's hair was less kinky and wild to control. Even then, her mama always did her (and Amla's) hair into intricate braids for the reapings, this year hadn't been any different. Now though the prep team was undoing the braids, fixing her nails, while another poured wax onto her legs and began ripping the hair off her skin. Maize couldn't hold in some of the random yelps of pain at the sensation as Yurida started moving up and waxing _other _areas that were more _sensitive_. By the time the woman was done, Maize was hairless everywhere except for her head. It was strange. Shaving wasn't something that was common in her new life, people were too busy working in the fields to think about something as extra as body hair. The only moment in a woman's life where shaving was even an option was their wedding night. Maise hadn't felt the sensation of smooth skin in years. So it was strange but also nice.

In all honesty, the most awkward part of the whole thing was the fact that Maize was naked. Bare for the prep team to view and prod at. Of course after three hours of them bathing, waxing, polishing and rubbing creams onto her skin... she wasn't as mortified as she was the moment they had taken away her robe. (She had been angry however when they judged her body. From the stretch marks on her hips when they expanded rapidly during puberty or around her chest which was ample for someone who had suffered from malnutrition constantly, to her pretty pathetic height of five feet, or how giddy/jealous they were that her ribs were visible, to the marks on her back, she refused to reveal how she'd gotten them). It helped a little that Maize had internally labeled (because she would never say it to their face even if they _were _Capitolites) them as unfeeling drones when it came to her body. Perhaps it was mean, but it made her feel better and as a teenager that was days away from her death... Maize felt a little entitled to dehumanize the people (and the others like them) prepping her for her death. After all, that's what they did with the tributes and Victors of the Hunger Games year after year.

It was only after Tesoro finished applying her makeup, while Circo and Yurida added the final touches to her re-braided (and infinitely more complex) hair, that she was presented to her stylist Orion Ambersen. The man was wearing an _interesting _suit that played upon his namesake, with different constellations that were lighting up with some sort of tiny/minuscule lightbulbs where the stars were supposed to be. His skin was dark and reminded her of home, but his hair (a stylized afro) was white as snow, but his eyes were a piercing gold color that seemed to absorb all that they concentrated on. And now they were focused entirely on her.

A small smirk pulled on the corners of his gold-painted lips, "Hello Ms. Maize, I am Orion, and _you_ darling are my muse for these Games." Maize looked at him with curious and slightly suspicious eyes, "The moment you volunteered in a manner so self-assured, I had to make you an entire new outfit to reflect _this_ persona."

Orion led her to a small podium for her to stand on so that he could circle around her figure. Maize stood still, the only indication that she was nervous being that her thumb was running over her green glossed nails. But the man only seemed pleased with what was in front of him. People in the fashion industry had always confused her.

"Have you ever heard of Demeter?"

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

**Words: Around 1,200**

_Edited: October 30, 2019_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: **Joergeon

She had never seen a horse in person, at least not in her first life and it would no longer apply to her second one. Joergeon was one of the two humongous horses that would be pulling the District 11 chariots this year for the Tribute Parade. Maize kept all her attention onto the beast in front of her, gently petting his black muzzle and feeding him sugar cubes as she ignored everyone around her. Cana was carefully sitting on the chariots as they waited for the parade to start, the younger teen had taken one awe-filled look at the beasts before deciding to stay as far away as possible from the horses.

Keeping all of her attention on the horse helped Maize keep her mind off the dress she was wearing. Orion had dressed her as the Greek goddess of agriculture (and fertility, though that wasn't what her stylist was trying to emphasize with her outfit), Demeter. She was wearing a beautiful green toga, the fabric itself was so soft and smooth against her skin like the softest silk. The toga had to slits on the sides going almost all the way up to her hip where it was tied with a golden braid of rope. A transparent green shawl had been thrown over her shoulders to tease the viewers from seeing the bare skin of her shoulders and back, considering that the back of toga was practically nonexistent and started at the small of her back, and Orion didn't want people to gawk at the scars marring her back, even if they had been caked with makeup. Gold Greek sandals adorned her feet ending at mid-calf, she had gold accents all over her person, bangles on her arms, wrists, around her neck and even around her thighs. She was wearing a crown made of real plants, red/pink/white strawberry flowers in full bloom (much like they had been at home a month ago before they turned into the juicy fruit, and was given a cornucopia to carry filled with actual fruits that were harvested from her District.

Cana was dressed as Dionysus the Greek god of wine, vegetation and festivity (which was apparently appropriate here in the Capitol since the Hunger Games were a _wonderful _festivity), grapevines formed a crown around the fourteen-year old's head. He also had matching gold accents in the form of the Greek styled sandals and gold bangles. Despite his awkward stance on the whole situation, not to mention the grief that was beginning to envelop him, he looked handsome. Maize, on the other hand, was trying to ignore the looks and attention that the dress was giving her, from the tributes and all of the attendants backstage. Seeders warm hand gently touched her shoulder bringing Maize out of her daydreams.

"The parade is starting in five, let me help you onto the chariot." the female Victor's presence was calming, and her help was honestly appreciated. Maize was one of the shortest girls in her age group, and it was looking like that trend was continuing even in the Capitol, and help to get onto the chariot with her dress would have been necessary even if Seeder hadn't offered... Cana probably wouldn't have been able to help her get on. She really needed to help him build up some muscles.

"Thank you, Seeder."

The woman smiled before regaining a stern facial expression and locking eyes with both of them, "Remember, you are both confident and _united _District partners from 11." Seeder locked eyes with Cana, "Boy, you must put on a brave face. Be strong and supportive of your partner. And you Maize, you enthrall all of the Capitol once more as you did at the terminal. Be mysterious, saucy, confident and unattainable. You two are gods and goddesses of the harvest in our District. _Be them_." she commanded, as all three of them ignored the three-minute warning.

Maize straightened her spine and elongated her neck elegantly, her eyes hard and confident, before turning to the reins of the chariot. Cana locked his gaze onto her figure before mirroring Maize in a convincing manner, his back straight as he gripped the adorned chariot. Cana's face was blank except for the small –_false so incredibly false_\- smile tugging on the corner of his lips. Maize hooded her eyes under the fake eyelashes that the stylist had added onto her lids to make them stand out even more (honestly, Maize thought that had been unnecessary) and allowed a small taunting smirk to tug onto her plump lips. She held onto the woven gold cornucopia with her left arm and held onto the front of the chariot with her free hand as the chariot began to move and music started playing loudly

For all the sophistication the Capitolites proclaimed to have, they were like writhing animals as they howled and thrust themselves forward in excitement from the stands. She couldn't really discern any specific words from the crowds, but she could occasionally hear a Capitolite shout out her name. She turned to face the crowd with sly smirks and coquettish winks in the direction of the area where her name was shouted, at one point she even kissed the tips of her fingers before 'blowing' the kiss out onto the adoring fans. It earned her enamored high-pitched screeches and flowers being thrown their way.

Cana let out a bitter chuckle from beside her, but his smile didn't change as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Despite being underfed and two years younger than Maize the teen was still two or three inches taller than she was, so Maize allowed herself to lean on him a bit before gingerly grabbing one of the strawberries from the cornucopia, kissing the fruit gently before taking a small bite and then offering the rest to Cana. The fourteen-year-old didn't even blink and ate the strawberry whole.

The crowd cheered.

It reminded her of the cackling Hyenas from the movie '_El Rey Leon.'_ But these people felt even more malicious than the caricature hyenas from one of her favorite childhood movies. The chariots began to slow down as the horses came to a stop in a semi-circle in front of where the President was standing regally before a silver-white podium above the balcony in the District Circle. The national anthem played as the camera cut to showcase the faces of the tributes onto the big screens for the Capitol citizens, hell _all_ of Panem, to view.

President Snow reminded Maize of a snake. There was a wild poisonous garden snake that likes to roam the orchards during the spring and summer seasons, they called it the ruse snake because it looked like an ordinary green garden snake at first glance unless one noticed the darker scales of the snake's underbelly. The bite could kill a young/small child within ten minutes, and an adult within twenty. That was what President Snow reminded Maize of. The ruse snake. A seemingly innocent and harmless looking 'garden' snake until it struck with a blind and precise fury. He was poison in itself. Even the seemingly warm and honeyed words slipping from his lips were dripping with it as he welcomed them to the Capitol and to the 70th Hunger Games.

It disgusted her. And the feeling lingered on her skin even as the chariots pulled away once more and led the tributes into the Training Center.

* * *

**Words: 1,212**

_Edited: Oct.30, 2019_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen: **Don't Die

The moment that the chariots entered the Training Center, Maize allowed the fake smirk and delighted expression to fall from her face. She wrapped an arm around Cana and squeezed her District partner in a half hug. "That was smart. Wrapping me in a hug."

Cana his arm tightened around her, "You too, that strawberry thing... I saw one of _them _fall right outta their chair."

Maize nodded, "It just came to me. I hope that it didn't make you uncomfortable Cana."

"Nah." the boy locked eyes with her as the chariot finally came to a stop and the other tributes began to disembark and reunite with their Victors, "You remind me of my sisters, it's comforting to have someone from home with me."

She smiled up at him softly, ignoring the delighted crows coming from Goldie as the excited escort approached them, "Same."

"Oh, darlings!" she squeaked, "That was absolutely wonderful!" The fourteen-year-old shot the woman an uncomfortable smile before jumping down and offering Maize his hand, she grabbed it gratefully and shot him a smile before jumping as well.

Chaff threw his arm around Maize's shoulder and chortled softly, she could smell the booze on the man's breath but it wasn't overwhelming, "That was more than wonderful! It was fantastic! Marvelous!" he crowed as the group began leading them towards the elevators, "Wasn't it Seeder!"

The female District smiled proudly, "It was perfect, you guys are getting a lot of attention from Sponsors. They were rather excited that District 11 had a volunteer this year and then with that display during the Tribute Parade... well you're a hot commodity."

There was a dark and scared look hidden in Seeders dark brown eyes that were buried by the pleased smile and front that she was putting on in front of the others, it made the hair on the back of Maize's neck rise, but there wasn't anything she could do about it now. Later.

The ride up the elevator was an interesting experience. They didn't have to share the space with another tribute or their posse, and the entire time was spent with Maize listening to the excited chatter of the stylists and Goldie. Cana was leaning heavily on the back wall of the elevator and his eyes drooped occasionally. She could relate, Maize was exhausted. She couldn't wait to hop into a shower and wash away the makeup and perfume that'd been sprayed onto her body (honestly why did she even need to wear perfume, it wasn't like the Sponsors could smell her) and undo the tight ornamental braids in her hair. But they would probably be corralled into having dinner with the whole 'team,' as Goldie referred to themselves as.

Maize hated being right.

Orion and his crew helped her undress from the toga and remove the bangles, before sending her off into the shower. The most confusing, and if she was honest with herself anxiety-inducing (why were there so many options!), shower she'd ever had. There were at least a hundred of different settings for the shower, from the temperature, scent, soap... and even drying off was otherworldly with a device that simply air-dried her in moments. Hell, there wasn't even a comb, her hair was untangled completely by another futuristic device. As soon as she was out, she picked a simple blue cotton dress (not unlike one she would wear at home) and white leggings (like the ones she used to love to wear in her first life) before making her way to the stylish dining area where everyone else was waiting. Cana was looking more than a little overwhelmed at the large selection of food in front of them, and she didn't blame him. It looked as if the table had enough food to feed her family for a week rather than to just act as their dinner for one evening.

The adults at the table chatted with gusto as they celebrated the positive outcome of the Tribute Parade. Maize ate as many carbs and fatty foods as her body could handle, she would need to gain some weight before the Games began in case the arena didn't have an abundance of options for food. After recommending Cana to do the same, the boy immediately moving to serve himself another spoonful of mashed potatoes rather than fruit, she relaxed somewhat. It was then that Maize noticed that their Mentors were looking at them.

"Yes?" she asked softly, silently praying that they hadn't asked her a question while she was daydreaming.

"I know we already established that you two want to be trained together, correct?" Seeder asked seriously.

Maize peeked at Cana from the corner of her eye before nodding, "We do."

"Alright." the woman nodded as she looked at the others sitting at the table, "I know that tonight was a victory, but I want to make sure that we do this tonight before the training begins tomorrow."

"We have time to do this in the morning don't you think-"

Goldie never got to finish her sentence before Chaff, uncharacteristically serious, interrupts her, "No. Seeder is right." before turning to look at them, skillfully ignoring Goldie's offended look, "What are your skills? Things that will help you survive in the arena?"

Cana looked at Maize imploringly, the poor kid didn't know what to say. Maize only hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I'm fast, I'm really good at climbing: trees, rocks you name it. I can identify poisonous plants and I know what plants are edible. My Auntie was a nurse, so I know how to do first aid and how to suture wounds, I was gonna be a doula not that is going to be useful... I'm pretty flexible and I'm good at using a bō staff that belonged to my Uncle Banyan..."

"Umm, I guess... I'm also really good at climbing trees." Cana piped up after a beat, "I can identify edible plants and poisonous ones. I'm _really _good at hiding... I don't really have any other skills." he trailed off nervously as he began to tug at the end of his shirt.

Seeder was analyzing them thoroughly, "What about some other survival basics? Can you start a fire? How to find water? Poisonous animals? What happens if you two are stuck in a desert? How would you survive? Or the opposite, what if you're in a marshland or area with a lot of water? Can you swim?"

They were quiet.

"Well, we can both start fires." Cana piped up, "It's something you have to learn if you ever want to eat lunch when we're in the fields. And I-I don't know about Maize, but I can tell which snakes are poisonous. My little brother Ollie got bit by a ruse snake once so mama made us learn which ones were okay and which ones are poisonous."

"Me too." Maize confirmed, "Learning about poisonous snakes was a part of my first aid training... I do have some experience with swimming... Back before the pond that was near the outfields dried out, my cousins and I had a chance to swim in it... it was shallow, but it's something." she fibbed. The pond that had once been in the outfields was a real place, but Maize had never gotten her parents' permission to go swimming with her cousins or any other the older kids. They'd been afraid that with her small stature she would drown, but now it would serve as a good cover story for why she knew how to swim.

"Hmm, well that is what we want you to do tomorrow is go to the survival stations. You have an equal chance of dying of natural causes as you do at the hand of another tribute. Scope out the other tributes and figure out who's dangerous and who can be a potential ally, stick together but don't be afraid to try out different stations." Maize simply nodded in understanding once the woman finished speaking but a tired sigh from her District partner made her turn to face the younger teen.

"Any more advice?" Cana asked wearily.

"Yeah." Chaff snorted as he sipped (more like downed) his glass of wine, "Don't die."

Seeder whacked the back of the man's head in reprimand, "Chaff your drunk."

* * *

**Words: Around 1,370**

_Edited: October 31, 2019_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: **Training

Despite all of the internal fears and worries plaguing Maize's mind, she had been able to enjoy a full night's sleep without any interruptions. She figured, and perhaps her subconscious had as well, that she'd soon be living in an actual nightmare, so her imagination had let her be. The same could not be said for poor Cana who had slumped his way over to the dining room table like a sloth. He shot her a tired smile before digging into breakfast and spent the rest of the time quietly playing with his food. Maize spent that hour asking questions to their Mentors in between bites.

Thankfully the two Victors didn't seem annoyed by her questions, rather they (mostly Seeder, since Chaff was nursing what she realized was actually a permanent hangover based off the new glass of scotch in hand) answered her questions honestly and in detail. Advice on what to expect and some survival tips for the arena.

Seeder's Games had taken place in a dessert-like environment and the only reason she had won her Games was because of the woman's love for desert plants and for being able to hold off from dying of starvation the longest in comparison to the other tributes. The majority of the tributes that year had died from 'natural causes.' Which, if one cared to think about it, was actually kind of sad. Seeder had won because she could handle starvation and hold on until the others had died. Chaff's Games were more brutal in manner, a true blood bath. More than half of the tributes had perished during the first few minutes of the games during the bloodbath and those that had survived spent the next two days hunting each other down. Chaff hadn't come out of it unscathed either, he'd lost his left forearm before winning.

After breakfast ended Maize and Cana were instructed to quickly change by the stylists into matching tracksuits with the number '11' pinned to their backs. Before they were walked to the elevators with Goldie (apparently, she would be escorting them _everywhere_) and sent downstairs to the basement where the training rooms were located. They weren't the first tributes there, but they weren't the last as they waited for ten to hit and the instruction to begin. Maize took that moment to survey the large room. There were different kinds of stations available for them, filled with various weapons and obstacle courses. Above them, in elevated stands that surrounded the gymnasium, the Gamemakers could be seen tittering around as they ate from a banquet that'd been set for them. Maize only observed them for one more moment before deciding to pretend that they weren't even there.

They only had to wait seven more minutes for the rest of the tributes to arrive, before a tall athletic Capitolite woman introduced herself as the head trainer. The woman, Atala, went on to explain the training schedule and what each station has to offer. There were experts assigned to each station to help them and the tributes were allowed to move from station to station as they pleased. The biggest rule seemed to revolve on the 'no-in-fighting' between tributes. Which made sense, they would have plenty of time to kill each other in the arena.

The moment that they were allowed to explore the large gymnasium like space, the Career tributes sprinted to the deadlier looking weapons before beginning to handle them with a certain amount of ease that made jealousy and pity burn in her stomach. Cana stood by her side as she surveyed the stations before she dragged the younger teen to the shelter station that was free of other tributes. They spent an hour there learning from the expert and making their own shelters before Cana asked if they could move to the snare making station. Maize was happy to follow him, she knew how to make some basic snares to catch lizards and small rodents in their gardens (it was one of the main ways that her family was able to access meat) but she was excited to learn what other kinds of snares she could make.

The rest of the morning went by in a similar manner, as the two of them rotated from station to station (as long as it was free) and learned what they could about surviving. Maize and Cana flew by the edible plants' station, and they both did well on the poisonous plants and animals (Maize was a little better than her District partner with her medical background, but he was a quick study). Maize was even praised by the expert in the first aid/med station, much to her embarrassment and Cana's amusement. It was around one in the afternoon when escorts started collecting their tributes for a thirty-minute lunch before training commenced once more.

It was after they had come back from lunch, while Maize and Cana were watching a demonstration on how to make fishhooks, that she got her first real close look at Annie Cresta. Her fellow sixteen-year-old was struggling and failing to start a fire while her District partner, a cheeky blonde-haired thirteen-year-old, laughed softly at her attempts. Cresta had a shocking mane of silky red hair, bright green-blue eyes, and soft creamy looking skin, even with frustration clouding over some of her features she still had a pleasant face. She was pretty. A real looker. But overall, Cresta's body language practically screamed KIND. It was obvious now to Maize why Annie Cresta had lost her mind after the Games in the books. She was too kind, her eyes innocent and naïve despite the place they were in.

Maize turned to look at Cana, he was completely focused on the task on hand and was using his nimble fingers to create a fish lure. Annie Cresta was good, important even in the grand scheme of things, but Cana was _more_ important to her than the integrity of the possible timeline. If it came between Cresta and Cana, Cana would always win. With that thought in mind, she informed Cana that they would be going to the water/pool station next.

Swimming was like riding a bike, a skill that you never really forgot no matter how many years passed by. The expert at the station looked grudgingly impressed that a girl from District 11 knew how to float, let alone swim. It had taken quietly promising Cana that she wouldn't let him drown for the teen to enter the water. Cana did surprisingly well after he learned to float when he got too tired of treading water. They spent two hours in the water, after Maize had whispered her urgency in his ear. Cana had looked confused, but perhaps her fear-filled face convinced him to stay put and continue practicing this new skill.

After drying off, Cana led her to the rock-climbing station and that was where they spent the rest of the afternoon before Goldie came to pick them up for dinner. The training rooms, while still open after dinner could only be accessed as long as a tribute had a chaperone (either their escort or Mentors) with them since the head trainer and other skilled experts wouldn't be present. Maize would get down on her knees and beg if she had to, to convince her Mentors to chaperone her. Apparently, most tributes (even the Careers) didn't take advantage of that.

_Idiots_.

The whole lot of them.

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**Words: Around 1,220**

_Edited: October 31, 2019_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen: **Specialized Training

It wasn't as hard as she had thought to convince Seeder to chaperone her and Cana (after convincing the exhausted boy that more training couldn't hurt them in the long run). During the elevator ride after lunch, she had asked Goldie about nutrient-rich shakes that Maize and Cana could drink, in order to gain weight and get their bodies healthy before the Hunger Games began. The woman had looked at her as if she was insane, apparently, Capitolites preferred to look like sticks with no figures and rarely purposefully tried to gain weight, but she had acquired the shakes for them. They were surprisingly good and came in different flavors. She had downed two vanilla shakes before dragging Seeder and Cana (he was enamored with the chocolate shakes) downstairs for more training.

Like Maize had predicted the training room was empty and ready for their own personal use. It was perfect. Seeder immediately led them to the knife-throwing station and started instructing them. Making Maize and Cana throw the knives again and again, drenched in sweat and muscles burning until they were hitting the center with a satisfying 'thunk.' After Seeder was pleased with their ability to hit stationary targets, she made them move on to the moving targets. It took Maize a few tries to get it right and start hitting the humanoid targets, but it wasn't as difficult as Maize had thought it would be. In fact, the most difficult part was just how disturbingly easy it was for her to do it. She blamed it on the lizards who would find themselves hiding in the family garden, Maize would never throw stones at them again.

They practiced with knife throwing for three hours until Seeder decided that it was time for them to go upstairs to eat dinner and wind down. After all, they would be having their regular scheduled training in the morning. It was in the elevator ride that Maize saw _Finnick Odair _in person once more. The older teenaged Victor looked exhausted as he entered the elevator car but had plastered a wide fake smile onto his face when he saw that it wasn't empty.

"Evening Seeder." he greeted.

Seeder eyed the other Victor for a moment, not quite able to mask her concern, "Finnick."

Cana had gripped onto her arm the moment that Finnick Odair had stepped into the elevator, but she couldn't find it in herself to comfort her District partner right at that moment. An internal _promise _she'd made when Maize was only twelve-years-old, after her first reaping, was now at the forefront of her mind. This could be the only chance she ever had to warn the dirty blonde teen (because despite all of his _exploits _in the Capitol and his manly physique, Finnick Odair was still only a teenager) of his fate. But she couldn't do it here in the elevator of the Training Center, she didn't want to give the damn Capitol any more ammunition against Odair, or even Cana and herself.

The Victor's stormy blue-green eyes met her own hazel brown ones for a brief moment as he surveyed Maize and Cana, "These your tributes this year Seeder?"

"Hmm," The woman turns to look at them with a warm smile, "Yes. My tributes are strong this year, I have faith in them." Warmth floods behind her chest, and Maize knows that her cheeks pink enough to be visible. Cana ducks his head in embarrassment, a small pleased smile on his face as he grips onto her hand. Odair raises his brows in surprise, Maize suspects that this is a rare occurrence where Seeder is confident in her tributes ability to come back home.

(_Her heart aches for all of the fallen tributes Seeder had mentored in the past, and for Seeder herself who had to see these children sent to their deaths time after time_).

"Mags has been asking for you Seeder, she's missed you." Odair changes the subject as the elevator comes to a stop on the Fourth floor.

"I'll be seeing her soon." Seeder promises as Odair steps off and the elevator continues to make its way up to their floor. Maize rubbed Cana's knuckles softly as he untensed. Seeder turned to look at them, "That was Finnick Odair, he's one of the mentors for District 4. You may not have a chance to see him again but he won the Games when he was your age Cana. He's a good man."

That, unfortunately, was not the end of that conversation. As soon as Goldie and the stylist heard that they had met _the _Finnick Odair, the rest of the evening was filled with gossip about the youngest Victor to ever be produced by the Hunger Games. It was disgusting to hear about how _explicitly_ they fantasized about someone even when Odair had first come out of the Games (_at fourteen...)_. Maize was happy when she'd finished eating dinner (and downing another shake) and was able to make her escape to shower and sleep. Even if her heart clenched, _she didn't get to warn him_.

The next morning fell into a similar routine as the previous day. She had woken up early, much like she always did at home (after all the workday in the fields started early) and stretched out all of her sore muscles before going into the dining area and drinking two heavy strawberry and banana-flavored shakes in lieu of eating the eggs and bacon being served that morning. After a groggy Cana sat himself down beside her, Chaff instructed them to continue visiting the survival stations in the training room and keeping to themselves before the man poured a generous amount of alcohol into his morning coffee. Seeder was talking up potential Sponsors that morning, but she had promised to chaperone them once more in the evening. As soon as she and Cana were dressed, Maize opted to go down early. The Training Center was open from eight in the morning for the tributes, but most showed up around ten like on the first day.

As soon as the elevator doors opened Cana dragged her to the snare/trap making station. They spent the majority of their morning there before Maize decided that they needed to work on their cardio and ushered the younger teen to the treadmills. They ran and ran until Cana's legs were trembling and he was short of breath, Maize felt a hitch in her side but couldn't find herself to stop running even when her partner took a much-needed breather and drank water. They were both drenched in sweat, and much to her surprise, it was Cana who led them to the pool area for another swimming lesson so that they could cool down. Soon after it was time for lunch, this time Maize ate light foods like fruits along with one chocolate shake (so that she wouldn't throw it all up during the training later). Cana followed her lead. Once they were released to go train once more, they immediately made their way to the obstacle course and did it over and over again (ignoring the jeers from the Careers when they failed or wiped out) until they were able to go through the whole thing without stumbling under seven minutes.

That evening when Seeder brought them down for more specialized training, she had them throw knives while running through the course as the Victor threw blunt objects at them. The rest of the week flew by in a similar manner.

* * *

**Words: Around 1,235**

_Edited: November 3, 2019_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen: **The roof

It was evaluation day. Today the tributes would be called one by one in order of the Districts (males first) to be evaluated by the Game Makers. This evaluation was extremely important to attract the attention of Sponsors, and the scores would be revealed later in the evening by Caesar Flickerman. The hard part about it was that District 11 was always called second to last, she would be the twenty-second person evaluated (Cana the twenty-first) and by that point, the majority of the Game Makers wouldn't even be bothered to pay attention. Seeder had made it clear to them that they _absolutely_ had to grab their attention in any way possible. Their mentors wouldn't be able to get them Sponsors this year unless they had scores above seven.

Maize wasn't too worried about what she would be demonstrating. Her knife-throwing skills had progressed wonderfully, she could run the obstacle course in under five minutes without tripping or messing up, build deadly snares for animals and humans, hold her breath underwater for a whopping five minutes (something that she had been practicing for hours out of the training room), identify edible and poisonous plants/animals, apply first aide like it was nobody's business, and successfully knock over the trainer with her bō staff. Cana, on the other hand, was like an exposed nerve. His knee bouncing up and down non-stop as he sat beside her. She hadn't been able to calm him down once since early in the morning. Maize could only hope that he didn't spaz out during his evaluation or his scores would suffer.

When Cana's name was finally called, his whole body flinched. Maize barely had time to place a comforting hand on the younger teen's shoulder and wish him luck before he made his way into the training room. After about fifteen minutes they finally call her name, she left behind two anxious and sickly looking tributes from 12.

"Maize Galloshire, District 11!" she announced loudly as she entered the training room, making the eyes of the Game Makers track her movements.

She immediately makes a beeline to the knife-throwing station and after moving a considerable distance away states what area she's going to hit before throwing the knife. Each throw met its mark. She dragged a couple of dummies into various positions around the obstacle course, grabbed a couple of knives and did the course all the while throwing the knives into the targets. She completed the course in six minutes, it wasn't her personal best record but she had hit all of her targets so she considered it a win. As soon she jumped off the platform she made her way to the plant identifying section, the hologram's unearthly blue light illuminated her face as she completed the quiz it generated of a two hundred different edible and poisonous plants in under two minutes.

Maize took a moment to glance up at the Game Makers and nearly jumped when more than half of them were looking down at her in consideration. She quickly grabbed the bō staff from the rack and got onto the fighting platform where the trainer was waiting for her, the woman's own staff clenched in her hand. What followed was a brief beat down between the two them. The hard smacks of the staffs' hitting one another and the occasional grunt of pain when the staffs' hit body parts. Sweat clung onto her back making the exercise shirt stick to Maize's skin. She ducked under a swipe of her opponent's staff before smacking the woman's hand with her own bō, making her opponent drop the staff before bringing her bō up to the trainer's neck.

"Yield." she stated as hard breaths panted out of her. The trainer raised her hands up and backed away. Maize let her stance fall before jumping off the platform and walking to the elevators without glancing back at the Game Makers.

She was too afraid to even see them.

Maize hit the button for her floor.

She was greeted by the excited and anxious voices of the stylists and Goldie before Cana ran to her side for a hug. Maize wrapped her arms around her District partner as the younger boy practically sagged into her.

"I tipped during the obstacle course." he mumbled. Maize rubbed his back softly before pulling the boy out of her arms.

"That's okay." she reassured him, "How did the swimming go?"

He sighed, but a small smile quirked onto his face. "Good."

**They were ushered onto the couch before being handed their pre-dinner shakes by Seeder as they waited for the results to be announced. As soon as Caesar Flickerman appeared on the screen they quieted down. They started off by showing a picture of the tribute by Flickerman's head before the Capitolite read out the score and it flashed under the tribute's picture. The scores for the Career tributes were in the general nine-ten range except for District 4 this year. Annie Cresta only scored a six and her District partner, who was a year younger than Cana, scored five. They probably weren't going to be welcomed into the Career Pack this year and instead would be viciously hunted by them. Everyone else seemed to score between a five and seven, except for the poor girl from District Six that scored a three. Cana scored a seven, to their delight, and Maize scored a surprising eight.**

Around them, their mentors, escort and stylist began celebrating their scores as they prepared to sit and eat dinner. Their meal was a lively affair as conversation flowed from one end of the table to the other, talks of Sponsors and what they would be wearing for their personal interviews with Casar Flickerman were the main subjects of the conversation.

Cana made his escape soon after the meal ended, deciding to go to bed early and relax for a change. Maize, on the other hand, was restless as hell. Seeder was kind enough to point her to the elevator and tell her to take out her frustrations on the roof. The woman had shown her the roof during the third training night when Maize was too hyped up on adrenaline to sleep. Maize took the chance of escape as it was and practically sprinted to the elevator. The moment the doors opened onto the roof, Maize let out a pent up sigh she hadn't known she'd been holding. The breeze felt nice on her skin as she leaned on the railing, her eye locked onto the horizon and the setting sun in the distance.

"Shady grove, my little love/ shady grove I know./ Shady grove my little love,/ I'm bound for the shady grove./ I wish I had a piece of thread/ as fine as I could sew,/ I'd sew much love to my side,/ and down the road I'd go."

The words bled out of her mouth as the song filled up the otherwise empty silence. It had been so long since she had sung anything. It was probably the thing she missed most about home. There wasn't a day that she hadn't sung in the fields. Work songs were what kept them busy and connected them with one another as they tended, tilled, harvested and boxed fruit and vegetables. She missed hearing the warbling timber of mockingjays copying their songs from the canopies, and the lisped notes from young children as they learned the lyrics of songs, the camaraderie of hearing her voice joined by her peers as she sweat under the sun while picking fruit...

She missed hearing the occasional crack in Birch's voice (he absolutely hated puberty), Brier and Piper's sweet tones, Hibis' attempts to finish at least one song without messing up the lyrics, Lilac's adorable mess-ups as the toddler sang her favorite lullaby, and her infant twin brother's wide eyes and smiles when Maize held them to her chest and snag them sweet nothings. She missed Amla's strong voice, her mama's familiar and soothing song and her baba's sure and steady way as he held a note. She missed her family. With that in mind, the ditty she'd been singing ended and the more somber notes of 'Fare thee well' filled the air.

"Hold on steady and strong,/ Here's the dawn coming on/ won't be long,/ Then the sun will come shining through,/ To show me the place I once knew" her eyes burned with tears that would never fall as she imagined the soft sound of flutes and whistles from mockingjays, "Fare thee well,/ Fare thee well and adieu,/ Fare thee well,/ With this song I'll be gone,/ Fare thee well..."

She had barely finished the chorus when clapping made Maize's head snap back in surprise.

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**Words: around 1,441**

**(Sorry I've been busy! Lots of exams! Enjoy!)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen: **_Promise Kept_

Finnick Odair was lazily leaning against the wall on the other side of the rooftop, his eyes locked onto her form as his hair was teased by the breeze. The shadows played with his figure and the little sun left highlighted the older teen's face. He was handsome, there was no doubt there, but his whole posture screamed SAD to Maize. Sad and defeated. Her heart clenched painfully behind her breast.

"You have a wonderful voice. You're one of Seeder's tributes this year, right?" he asked.

Maize nodded, "Yes and you're Finnick Odair... Seeder's spoken highly about you."

He shot her a boyish grin as he approached her and leaned against the railing beside her, "Did she now?" he asked rhetorically.

She hummed under her breath in agreement. This was her chance, possibly the only chance she would have to warn him. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like when this is all over?" she whispered softly, barely audible over the howling wind. Maize didn't turn to look at him as Odair's head turned to look at her own.

"The Games?" he asked, "I assume I'll still be here and you have a one out of twenty-four chance of making it out."

"No. When this is _all _over." she emphasized softly, "When there _are _no more Hunger Games, and the Capitol no longer _controls_ us."

This time she did peer to look at him. His eyes were locked onto hers, his expression grim and voice firm, "No. You probably shouldn't be talking about this you know. The audio may not work up here, but it's never a good idea to talk anti-Capitol ideals, especially before going into the Games." Odair warned.

Maize didn't avert her gaze, "I'm not. Just stating a fact."

If anything, Finnick Odair only looked even more confused.

"Soon, very soon, it's going to end. The people are restless and angry. Like a _mockingjay_, they will be filled with and carry the tune of rebellion." she promised softly. Odair was now looking at her intrigued.

"Do you have a secret worth my while 11?" he whispered softly, his entire posture cautious.

She turned her gaze back to the almost blank horizon, the sun barely visible now, "I was in the front row when you visited my District during your Victory Tour." she stated, "I made a promise to myself then, that if I ever had the chance to warn you that I would."

"Warn me?" Odair looked confused, wary and suspicious even as hints of fear swirled in his eyes, "Warn me of what?"

"I know things." she confessed, "I know things that I shouldn't, always have. The same way that I know that this year's Hunger Games will end with a flood and tributes drowning in their sorrows. The same way I know _what _they _make _you do."

Odair flinched away from her, "What are you-"

"When the time comes and you find yourself following _her _into battle, be prepared, do _not _stay behind. The _bowels _of the Capitol are a dangerous place to find yourself in. Don't die before your free." she whispered urgently, "You, of all of them, deserve to see it. To see Snow _fall_ from the sky."

Maize used the Victor's confused state to sprint to the elevator and go down to her floor. She did it. She warned him. Only time would tell if the youngest Victor to survive the Games would make it through the rest of adulthood.

That morning Maize was greeted by an excited Goldie. Tomorrow evening would be the live interviews with Caesar Flickerman, their last chance to truly entice the Capitol and win Sponsors before the Hunger Games began. It apparently was also Goldie's favorite part of the Hunger Games routine. After a hearty breakfast and a mango-flavored shake (which was now officially her favorite of all the shakes she'd tried), Goldie had ushered her into the bedroom and helped her change into a constricting floor-length ball gown and high-heeled stilettos, before the escort then instructed her on how to walk, sit properly, how to address the audience and play coy. While she hadn't worn heels in this life, Maize had enjoyed wearing some low heals to parties during her first. It had taken her about half an hour to feel comfortable enough to strut, swinging her hips in a seductive manner, from one end of the room to another.

Apparently, her dress for the interview was going to be provocative (Maize was already dreading it) so Goldie was trying to impart some 'wisdom' down upon her on how to be sexy and make all of Panem want her! Goldie's words, not her own. Maize wanted all of Panem to look _away_ when it came time for her to have words with Caesar Flickerman. She internally cursed the fact that she'd been born a girl and had to suffer wearing heels and 'sexy' outfits.

By the time it was the afternoon and lunch was served Maize's feet were killing her. Throbbing in time with her heartbeat. Hopefully the heels Orion made her wear weren't going to be that high. The one-on-one time with her Mentors after lunch wasn't too bad. They mainly went over her strategy for the interview. They were going with the sexy approach (_gag_). Apparently, Maize had all the right curves in all the right places, and when she was wearing heels... well height was no longer a problem then. She had gained more healthy weight and muscle in the last week than she had in probably her entire life. And it looked good. Maize had a pretty face and a nice voice, apparently, it was a cocktail of wonderful qualities to help her ensnare the love and attention of the Capitol and more importantly Sponsors.

Seeder and Chaff took turns pretending to be the interviewer and ask her various questions. She created a coy but gentle character, with just a smidge of the _sexy _that her stylist was trying to impart, that answered any and all questions about herself that would endear Maize to the (selfish, _empty_, **soulless**) people of the Capitol.

Maize had perfected her role by the time it was dinner.

Now all that was left was tackling the real thing.

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**Words: About 1,033**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen: **_Gag worthy_

Maize and Cana are barely able to eat their breakfast and down a shake before they are dragged off by their respective prep teams to prepare for the interviews. Before they begin working on her body, Tesoro redid her measurements (had Maize mention that she'd _gained _weight? She'd never been more proud of herself in her life) and sent them off to Orion.

Yurida and Circo had no problem scrubbing her body clean and once more waxing off all of the hair from her body. Circo happily painted her nails a dark forest green before adding intricate little rhinestones in different patterns, Yurida and Tesoro rubbed lotion all over her body before applying a light green powder that made her body shimmer under the light. Tesoro concentrated on Maize's face, erasing her face with makeup and then redoing her features the way he wants. It was about then that she'd been handed a shake with a straw in place of lunch by Circo.

She can feel the 'smokey eyes' he's drawing onto her face and the color lipstick he's applying on her is a bright blood red that stands out. Yurida is styling her hair, untangling it and applying product to it so that it is soft and malleable. The female stylist is letting the majority of Maize's hair go free, each stand curling beautifully, except for the hair in the front as she pulled it out of Maize's eyes and into two tiny braids that meet at the back of her head. The woman adds a few odd feathers and beads into Maize's hair until she's satisfied. The most painful part is probably the green gem (hopefully not _real _emerald, because Maize doesn't want to be _responsible _for anything _that_ expensive in _any _life) belly button piercing that Circo gifts her. She'd already had her ears pierced for the Tribute Parade so Circo only had to clasp pig golden hoop earrings as he placed green and gold bangles onto her arms and little gold bells around her ankles.

As soon as the prep team steps back to view their final product, Maize steadily ignoring the feeling of being a bug in a glass box for people to gape at, Orion walked into the room with the bagged outfit. Maize is allowed to stand up for the first time in three hours, shut's her eyes per Orion's instruction, and lets the four of them tug it onto her body before helping her step into her shoes (which thankfully _weren't_ heals). Even with her eyes shut, Maize knows that she is displaying more skin that she is strictly comfortable sharing. She felt so unbelievably naked, only wearing a thin thong under it all.

"Open your eyes, dear!" Orion chirruped, "We are finished!"

The girl staring back at Maize from the mirror barely looks like a girl at all. She is like a tantalizing gypsy, with a beaded green brassiere covering her assets (some of the beads going off the brassieres top to hang down over her exposed torso), the belly button ring is on full display surrounded by Maize's smooth looking toned stomach (that for once didn't look like she was half-starved or bloated from malnutrition), and hanging from her waist was a beaded flowy green chiffon gypsy skirt with a slit on the left leg (as if she wasn't showing off enough skin in the first place). She was once more wearing Greek styled sandals except that this time they were adorned with beads to match with the outfit.

She felt like gagging at the amount of skin visible for people to see. Maize wouldn't be reacting so harshly if she didn't know about the _consequences _of dressing as provocatively as she was now. If she won the Hunger Games, by some miracle or _curse _really, Maize was screwed.

She'd be the _next _Finnick Odair.

Maize resolutely looked away from the image, swallowing bile, and plastering a –fake- smile on her face. "I love it!"

And maybe she would have if she was wearing it for any other circumstance (though she doubted it would have ever seen the light of day unless she was going to a costume party during her first life where others would be wearing equally embarrassing/revealing outfits). The stylists gushed to one another about a job well done as they tweaked the outfit a little (as if it wasn't already uncomfortable enough).

The minute that they escorted her out she was bombarded by compliments from the rest of District 11 team as she reunited with a flustered Cana. The steady amount of healthy food and exercise had been kind to the fourteen-year-old, he was wearing a fitted suit and looked rather handsome as the light overhead bounced off his cheekbones. They are led into the elevator for a quick ride down, the interviews were taking place on a stage constructed in front of the Training Center, and as soon as the doors open she can see where all of the other tributes have been lined up to wait for their turns. Music began playing as they announced the host, she could see Caesar Flickerman (his hair an annoying shade of neon yellow this year) already perched in his customary spot under the headlights, a wide plastic smile on his lips as he addressed the live audience of Capitolites seated in front of him. Each interview was three-four minutes long, where Caesar attempted to make each tribute shine in front of the audience.

Maize watched each interview with a blank expression on her face, only averting her gaze when Annie Cresta was called up. She rolled her neck and shoulders languidly once the male tribute for District 10 was called and got ready for her turn. She squeezed Cana's hand in reassurance once (this was the only moment that females actually went first instead of the males) before a stagehand came to escort her.

"This next tribute surprised us all when she volunteered! She surprised us once more in that stunning get-up as the goddess of harvest during the Tribute Parade! Coming to us from District 11! Maize Galloshire!"

The applause was deafening and as the crowd got a view of her outfit turned into catcalls and appreciative whistles. Maize let her red painted lips curl up into a coy smile as she sashayed across the stage towards Caesar, her hips swinging sensually from side to side and the movement was only emphasized by the little bells and beads. She shot a coquettish wink at the audience as she finally made it to the interviewer's side.

"Oh my!" Caser gasped as he went around her, "Look at you! Don't you look positively stunning! Doesn't she folks?" he asked the audience, he was met by claps and cheers of affirmation. Maize simply allowed her smile to widen somewhat and cocked her hip to the right before letting her left leg peak out through the slip in teasing manner. She waved absentmindedly to the crowd with one hand as Casear grabbed her other and led her to the chairs. She sat primly on her seat, her back straight and her left leg completely out of the slit as she crossed it sexily over her right, showing off the skin of her upper leg.

"My, oh my!" Caeser gasped once more as he took in her figure, "You are certainly one of the most stunning young women to ever grace our presence on this stage!"

Maize smiled at the man, "Why, thank you Caesar!"

The man laughed, "Well now, onto a more serious topic, I've just been dying to know! Who was that girl you volunteered for?"

Maize let a genuine dreamy and loving look appear on her face, "I volunteered for my cousin Amla. She's getting married this coming week, Amla's completely besotted with her betrothed." she gossiped in a teasing manner.

Caesar had leaned in as well and laughed once more, "How wonderful!" he congratulated, "Was she there to see you off?"

"Oh yes!" Maize confirmed as let her fingers play with one of the beads, "My whole family came to see me off. I have seven younger siblings, so it was a bit chaotic, but with my family that's not unusual!" she laughed.

"Marvelous! Imagine that! Seven siblings!" Caesar commented, "And was there anyone special there to see you off, a boyfriend or even admirer?"

Maize giggled, "Oh no!"

"No?" Caesar gasped, "How is that possible? You are a stunning young woman!"

"My baba would have had a fit!" she confessed conspiratorially as she leaned in, as if whispering a secret, "He's a tad overprotective!"

Caesar laughed before stating curiously, "I think we were all surprised by that score you received! Is there anything you can tell us as to how you achieved such a score!"

(The _for your District_ wasn't said but Maize could feel it all the way down to her core).

Maize smiled tauntingly, "Wouldn't you like to know?" The crowd cheered, "I can tell you this, growing up in my beautiful District has taught me many things about surviving and plant life... I'm more than ready for these Games to start!" she finished with a coquettish wink, as if she was sharing a private detail of her life, to the audience. Cheers and catcalls filled the air once more.

"I think it's safe to say that we are all ready to see what you have to bring!" The yellow-haired man grabbed her hand and ked her up, before raising her arm into the air in mock victory, "Ladies and gentlemen, from District 11! Maize Galloshire!"

Maize smiled coyly out to the audience once more, before exiting the stage with confidence.

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**Words: Around 1,606**

_Edited: December 7th, 2019_

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(To Konslova: Thank you so much for your review! It made me so happy! I was also a bit worried about how Maize would speak to Finnick. The Games will be starting in two chapters I believe, so I hope that you'll enjoy them! And you'll see what ends up happening with Annie! I actually made a Pinterest board with images that inspired this fic, that includes more pictures of Maize! This model is very pretty! I'm glad that Maize didn't turn into a Mary-Sue! This chapter is dedicated to you and the reason I'm posting before Thursday! Thanks again for reading and reviewing! Go Team Maize!)


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen: **_Countdown_

Cana's interview with Caesar went wonderfully as well. His 'angle' was to be boyishly charming and humble, which wasn't too far from the younger teen's actual personality, only emphasized for the Capitol. Her District partner did end up disclosing that he saw Maize as an older sister and was grateful for her presence, it earned more than a few "Aww's" from the audience. It was brilliant. The only downside she could really think of was that now the other tributes knew for a fact that they were each other's weakness (which, if hadn't been made obvious by their lack of communicating with other tributes or making alliances, was now more than evident).

It didn't really matter anymore.

What was done, was done... besides Maize was rather proud of herself and Cana.

(_Even if she had cringed when she saw herself walk across the stage in her _provocative _outfit, she didn't even want to know what her baba's reaction was to that_).

Tomorrow she and Cana would be woken and dressed for the arena. The Hunger Games would truly start in the morning. Cana was quiet at dinner, even if he did follow her instructions food-wise. Maize listened to any advice she was able to pry from her mentors and, surprisingly, Goldie. She ate the lamb and seasoned potatoes with gusto, gingerly ate slices of caramelized mango and orange slices (her absolute new favorite dessert) and drank her vanilla flavored shake. This would be the last time she'd see Seeder and Chaff. Avox's would wake Maize up at dawn to get ready to travel, while Seeder and Chaff would be brought to the Games Headquarters where they would schmooze Sponsors to their side.

Maize took a long hot shower, scrubbing the paint and makeup from her skin. She undid the beads from her hair and rubbed shampoo into the strands. Letting herself completely relax. The rest of her evening followed the same pattern, she dried off, brushed her hair, rubbed lotion onto her skin and got rid of the nail polish from her nails. She changed into the softest nightgown in the closet before turning in for the night. She was asleep for maybe only an hour when the bedroom door creaked open.

"Maize?" Cana whispered, "Are you awake?"

She sat up, "Yeah."

The teen moved to her side and sat on the edge of the bed, "I'm sorry for... well this. I-I just can't sleep." Humming softly, Maize moved over and patted the now empty spot. Cana awkwardly laid down beside her, his back facing her, "Thank you."

"It's fine." she murmured, "It was strange when we first came here, I'm so used to sleeping by Brier or Amla that it was hard to sleep. So, this is nice."

"Me too." Cana piped up, "I usually sleep between Ollie and Terra." it was silent for a moment, just a symphony of relaxed breaths, "I miss mama's songs. Even Terra's and Uba's lullabies."

Her eyes shut without her accord, her heart constricting in her chest, "Which lullaby do you miss the most?"

"Catch a falling star." he shared shyly.

It took a moment for Maize to remember the lyrics but once she did she began humming the tune under her breath, "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket/ Never let it fade away/ Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket/ Save it for a rainy day..." she ignored the shaking shoulders and muffled sobs from her District partner, "For love may come and tap you on the shoulder/ Some starless night/ Just in case you feel you wanna hold her/ You'll have a pocketful of starlight.../ Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket..." Maize sang until the sobs and tears stopped, until Cana finally fell into a fitful sleep before joining him. Dawn came faster than Maize would have liked. Cana was still half asleep when Maize requested two shakes, a mango and chocolate-flavored shake, from an Avox. The moment that she had the shakes in hand she chugged hers down after prompting the sleepy teen next to her to do the same.

Just before he was led out of the room by his stylist, Maize hugged him and whispered in his ear, "Remember the plan?"

Cana looked at her seriously, "Yes."

She only nodded seriously before allowing Orion to manhandle her into a simple shift to wear until they arrived at the arena and up onto the roof where a hovercraft would appear to bring them. The moment that Maize is pulled into the futuristic plane a man in a white lab coat (a doctor perhaps) approaches her with a large looking syringe. Maize doesn't allow any distaste to show on her face as the man injects a tracker into her left forearm. Apparently, it would be used by the Game Makers to keep track of the tributes in the arena.

After Orion makes his way to her side once more, an Avox boy comes in and directs them to a room where breakfast has been laid out. She eats leisurely, enjoying the taste of fresh fruits, smoked hams and cheese. Maize is even fortunate enough to spy more of the mango nutrition shakes she'd become obsessed with. She downs two more before the windows in the room darken as they approach the arena. When the hovercraft lands they are directed to a tube that would lead to the catacombs underneath the arena and lead into her Launch Room, as it was called in the Capitol. She rather preferred the name it was given in the Districts. The Stockyard. A place animals are herded into before they are slaughtered.

She tries not to think about what happens in the arenas after the Games end. Instead of destroying the arenas or abandoning them, they are turned into glorified 'historic sites' where Capitolites can vacation leisurely to. They could visit the catacombs and even reenact the deaths of tributes. It was disgusting. Then again, most things that the _esteemed _residents of the Capitol liked or celebrated disgusted Maize. She forced herself to focus on other things as she showered and brushed her teeth. It would do her no good to linger on things she couldn't change.

Orion untangles her hair gently before separating her hair into four tight braids and tying it up in a ponytail. When the clothes arrived, they both opened the package curiously before the man helped her into them. Every tribute would be wearing the same thing, and the clothes often reflected what kind of arena it would be. Maize already knew that there would be a dam from her distant memories, so she was assuming that the rest of the arena had to be some sort of forest... maybe even mountain-like.

The brown pants are made of the same stretchy breathing material that the tracksuits she had worn for training were, and she'd been given a black cotton tank top to wear over her sports bra, thick calf-length brown socks to be worn under brown combat boots (the boots themselves while chunky looking were easy to move in and didn't weigh as much as she thought they would, they also had a fair amount of traction on their soles making her whole mountain/woodland theory more plausible), to complete the look she'd been given Orion handed her a cameo jacket that fell down her thighs (it was light and reminded her of a rain jacket but the inside was lined with warmer material, the nights would probably be colder than the day).

It was the moment that she was finally finished dressing that Orion handed her a small wooden ring that Maize had thought she would never see again. Her Nyanya's death, though years had passed, was still a sore subject for Maize. She had loved the old woman dearly, and despite all the woman's time on earth, they did not have a single picture of her. The only thing that they had left of her was the varnished maple ring that had served as her Nyanya's wedding ring. Baba had given it to her soon after she had come out of her healing coma (the whipping she had endured had left her unconscious for two days). She had worn it on her right ring finger every single day... when she'd been forced to undress for the Tribute Parade, Maize had thought that it'd been lost to her forever.

That the ring would just be another causality to the Hunger Games.

A wide smile tugged on the corners of her lips, "Nyanya's ring!" she gasped out, "I thought it had been lost! Thank you, Orion!"

The stylist smiled softly at her, "I thought that you could have it as your District token. Nyanya? Who is that my dear?"

Maize marveled at the small ring in her hand as she slipped it onto her right ring finger, "Nyanya means grandmother in my District. It was all I had left of her, she died during the pox outbreak when my family couldn't afford medication. Thank you so much Orion! I thought I'd lost it, it was her wedding ring!"

Orion looked perturbed. There was a mixture of pity and concern on his face as well as a good dash of surprise, this was probably the most the man had ever heard her say in one go, "You are welcome my dear."

The P.A. system above announces that the tributes should stand on the circular metal plate located in the center of the room. The Games were about to start. As the glass cylinder began lowering around her, Maize shot the man another soft smile. "Thank you for everything."

A countdown started around her as the cylinder started to rise.

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**Words: About 1,626**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty: **_RED_

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"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventieth Hunger Games Begin!"

The light from the artificial sun was so bright that Maize was blinded for a moment. There was a strong breeze kissing her cheeks carrying the smell of pine, dirt and water with it. She had sixty seconds before the gong would go off and the tributes would be allowed to run. Maize quickly looked left and right, trying to catch a glimpse of Cana. Brown fearful eyes locked onto her hers. Cana! The younger teen subtly lifted three fingers to her, Maize smiled before giving him a thumbs up and looking at his version of three o'clock. That was the area he would be running off in.

Thirty seconds to go.

Maize gazed at the prizes lying in and around the giant golden Cornucopia. She ignored the obvious items, containers filled with food, water, medicine and more, and instead looked at the items strewn across the lawn. There were a couple of backpacks that Maize could grab on her way towards meeting Cana, she ignored the obvious trap left to her by the Game Makers in the center of the Cornucopia. She was not getting caught up in the bloodbath and killed by the Career Pack just for a bō staff. No. Maize would make her own.

Ten seconds.

She stretched her limbs before getting into a runners pose. Her destination in the back of her mind as she readied herself for the gong.

The sound of cannon fires above her, but Maize doesn't pay it any attention as she sprints to the first pack, barely even stopping as she snagged it with her right hand and pulled it onto her back before reaching down once more to grab the next one. Screams have already begun to fill the air. She does the only thing she can do in this moment. Ignore it. Cana's back had already disappeared into the foliage and so would she.

A body crashed into her's causing the both of them to tumble onto the ground from the momentum, she pressed her knee up into the other's groin before striking up into the neck of the District 6 boy's tribute and clapping her palms over the teen's ears in an attempt to disorient him. The fifteen-year-old groaned as he stumbled off her, Maize shimmied backward grabbing the pack she'd dropped before kicking the teen in the nose causing _red _blood to spurt from his nostrils. She quickly took off into a run once more, only pausing to look back once she had cover in the foliage. While the teen had been attending to his nose, the District 1 female had come up behind him and slit his throat. Maize put the teen's death out of her mind for now, she had a District partner to find and protect.

She ran once more for another three minutes in the direction that Cana had signaled her to go in before catching her breath to look at the ground and surroundings around her to pick up his track. The screams from the Cornucopia could no longer be heard, and Maize was internally grateful for the reprieve. _There!_ Maize crouched to look at the boot-shaped mark in the ground, she followed the trail until it came to a stop in front of a tree. She let out a low inquisitive whistle that everyone from 11 knew meant '_are you there?_' Maize only had to wait a brief second for the '_I'm here!_' response. A relieved smile tugged onto the corners of her lips before she began to expertly climb up. More than halfway up the tree, perched on a thick sturdy branch hidden by the leaves of the tree sat Cana, he was hugging the thick trunk in front of him.

Maize joined him by pulling herself up on the branch closest to him, "Hey." she whispered, "You okay."

The younger teen was pressing his forehead into the bark of the tree, his eyes shut as a small tremor worked throughout his body, "No." he croaked back in a quiet voice before adding. "I'm glad you're not dead."

"Me too." Maize bit her bottom lip in concern, not knowing how to help her terrified District partner before deciding that getting busy would be more productive of their time and might even help Cana keep his mind off the blood bath occurring at the Cornucopia.

She had clipped the second pack she'd grabbed onto the first one before beginning the climb up the tree, now unclipping it she pulled it in front of her to inspect its content. A thin blanket that reflects body heat laid on the top hiding what looked like coiled up rope, underneath it was a pack of jerky and crackers, matches, a bottle of iodine, and an empty flask for water. The side pocket of the pack had a nicely hidden set of throwing knives that she knew between the two of them would be put to good use. She carefully pulled the rope out before handing it to Cana. Maize wasn't sure when the teen had snapped out of his panicked state, but she was glad to have curious and determined brown eyes locking with hers once more.

"Tie yourself to the tree, we'll be here for a while." she murmured. Cana simply nodded, doing as she instructed before gesturing to the pack in her arms. Maize handed it to him wordlessly, before shrugging off the other pack from her back to rift through its content. There was more climbing gear in the pack, so she immediately used it to tie herself onto the tree before turning to the pack once more. There was another empty flask for water some dried fruits and an assortment of nuts, a thermal blanket, some fingerless gloves, a small sewing kit, and water purifying tablets, and a large knife that Maize was going to use to carve herself a bō staff.

Overall, Maize was rather pleased with their haul. They would stay up in the tree for another hour or so before venturing down in search of water, after all, it was the only thing that hadn't been provided and that they couldn't live without.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

The cannon fire was loud and deafening above them. Each one signaling the death of a tribute. They usually went off immediately when a tribute fell, the only time it didn't was during the blood bath because the body count was so high and often confusing. Maize counted thirteen cannon shots. Thirteen teenagers dead at the hands of one another. That meant that there were eleven more tributes still living.

A terrified scream filled the air before it was cut short.

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**Words: 1,127**

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_Edited: January 14, 2020_


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One: **_Requiescat in pace_

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BOOM.

Ten tributes left. Cana looked at her nervously as he opened his mouth. Maize simply pressed her index finger to her lips in the universal sign for 'QUIET,' that scream sounded too close for comfort. Rocus laughter could be heard below them as this year's Career Pack trumped through the foliage without care.

"Did you see his face!" the District 1 boy crowed, making the others burst out into laughter once more.

"Oh no! Please don't! Ahhhh!" the female from 2 mocked.

Laughter wafted up to their ears from below as the tributes continued on their blood-lust filled trek. This year the Career Pack only contained the tributes from 1 and 2, Maize had overheard the cruel jeers and pain-filled promises that they would bestow upon the District 4 tributes if they encountered them. In the recesses of her mind, she hoped that the bloodthirsty Pack wouldn't catch Cresta or her younger District partner. Maize and Cana were silent, hidden in the canopies of the trees, and even after the Career Pack was long gone they stayed silent. It wasn't until Cana kissed his palm before making a fist and rubbed it gingerly on his chest over his heart that Maize felt tears burn behind her eyes. Maize copied her District partner.

(_It was a way that members from their District expressed their grief for fallen family members, and it was something that they did during the cremation process. A last 'kiss' goodbye before promising to guard them in their hearts_).

"Cana..." she whispered, her voice choked up, "It's my fault someone died in the bloodbath."

Her confession felt heavy and liberating all at once.

"You made it here." Cana spoke back softly, "You kept your promise. Thank you."

She simply nodded. It didn't really help alleviate much of the guilt, a teenager dead, but it made her feel better that Cana was relieved to have her by him. Maize breathed in deeply. Cana was the most important person to her now and until the Games ended or she died. Whatever came first.

"We have to find water, don't we?" Cana whispered.

Maize nodded, "We'll have to look for animal tracks in the morning. There has to be a stream somewhere down here below the dam for wildlife to survive."

The younger teen simply nodded, "Are we bunking here for the night?"

"Yeah." she whispered back, "We'll leave at dawn."

Morning came faster than Maize would have wanted. She and Cana had taken turns sleeping throughout the night, neither one fully trusting their environment and the other tributes roaming around in the dark. It didn't help that _two _more cannons went off during the night (eight tributes left, six not including herself and Cana) before three of the Career Pack members trudged underneath their tree and back towards the Cornucopia. It looked like one _them_ had fallen. They were even more bloodthirsty now. Plus the Death Recap that started when evening first set in hadn't done anything to ease their nerves either.

(Cresta and her district partner had still been alive then. Maize wouldn't know anything until the next recap).

The tributes from 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 12 died either during the bloodbath or soon after. All that life. Just gone. Maize internally prayed for them and their families. That left the Career Pack (minus their one missing member), the tributes from 4 or from 10 (she wasn't sure which since the cannon went off that morning which meant one the tributes from the two Districts had passed during the night).

The moment Maize had spotted the artificial sunrise on the horizon of the arena she had gently shaken Cana awake. They had had carefully put away the goods they'd used during the night (the thermal blankets had definitely come in handy the night before when the temperature had dropped), before untying themselves from the tree, storing the rope away for later use, and carefully climbing down. The moment that they touched ground Maize was quickly scanning their surroundings while Cana looked for animal tracks on the forest floor. Maize allowed herself to be tugged by her District partner when he spotted a trail, but kept herself from relaxing, grasping the large knife she'd found in her pack tightly in her hand.

Cana had found a rabbit's trail that led to the small animal's burrow, but not water, much to the boy's disappointment. Maize, on the other hand, was pleased with his find either way when she found the rabbit's defenseless sleeping babies inside. Food was food. She quickly snapped the necks of the baby rabbits while Cana guarded her back (he was rather squeamish about it, and Maize wasn't... it wasn't the first time she had to snap the neck of animal for food, images of the rare chickens her mother instructed her to kill for dinner dancing in her memories). They weren't going to eat the rabbits now. Instead she stashed two of the rabbits into Cana's pack and one in her own before pulling out some of the jerky and dried fruit.

They would eat a portion of their supplies as they walked through the forest in search for water. Maize did not want to start a fire so close to where the cornucopia was. They'd been walking for around an hour when they heard the first signs of life other than them. Maize had quietly, at least she hoped she was considering how hard her heart was pounding behind her chest, dragged a compliant Cana behind a tree as a delirious looking Annie Cresta stumbled out of the foliage.

_Alone_.

The teen looked nothing like she had before the Games started. Her face was blank, but her eyes were manic and crazed. Blood was splattered on her face and clothes, but Annie didn't really seem to notice it as she walked without meaning. Maize pressed her eyes closed for a moment as grief for Cresta's younger District partner, the small thirteen-year-old with blond hair and a bright smile, flashed through her mind. Cana gripped his own knife, looking ready to strike the girl himself out of fear. Maize was quick to press a gentle hand on his forearm and lower the knife before shaking her head at his questioning look.

Annie Cresta wasn't a danger to them.

"Waverly. Waverly's lost. Gotta find..." the female tribute for 4 mumbled under her breath as she continued to stumble away from them.

The girl had already been _lost _to the Hunger Games.

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**Words Around: 1,076**

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_Edited: February 8th, 2020_


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two:**_ And they wept_

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Maize quietly led Cana away from the direction Annie Cresta had been ambling towards, not caring that it meant they would have to find another trail to follow. She ignored his meaningful glances as she picked up a stong looking branch from the ground and began to peel off the bark with her knife. The moment that Cana felt they were far away enough to talk he opened his mouth.

"Why?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"I'm making a bō staff." she stated bluntly, purposefully ignoring the real question he was asking.

Cana huffed, "Not that. I already _knew_ that. I mean why did you let her go?"

She hesitated for a moment before deciding to just be honest with the younger teen, "Waverly is-was the name of Annie's District partner. He's younger than you. Or was, I guess. I think he must have been one of the cannons we heard last night."

The fourteen-year-old nodded carefully, "Okay. So, we let her go because..."

"She's grieving Cana. She's _walking wounded_. Cresta's not a danger to anyone anymore." Maize's voice had a finality to it. An end to her District partner's questions. Walking wounded was a colloquial term that they used to describe people in their District that had _nothing_ to live for anymore... they were just moving around and working because it was routine. No one was _ever_ really surprised to find them hanging in the deeper parts of the orchard. The only person that Annie could harm was herself at this point. (And that was if she came out of her denial over Waverly's death, Maize didn't think that the Game Makers or the Capitol for that manner would be patient enough for the redhead to come to terms with the grieving process before the dam broke).

"I understand." Cana whispered back in a soft and understanding manner. Back home, everyone knew _someone_ who was a walking wounded. She knew that Cana would understand.

They kept walking.

It took roughly another hour before they finally found a small stream. Based off the mud around the stream the only visitors to the area had been animals and not any other tributes, which made the knot that had tightened behind her chest unwind somewhat. They were quick to fill up their bottles and drop in the water cleansing tablets to do their job. Maize sat down on smoothed boulder as she continued to carve out her bō staff while Cana built some small unnoticeable traps in the foliage to act as a warning system around their perimeter.

Despite knowing how all of this would end, Maize did not have a set time limit for _when_ exactly the dam would break. She knew that the longest that the Game would last was approximately five days (after all there wasn't going to be a lot of bloodshed with the small number of tributes left... and it would be like finding a needle in a haystack at this point for all of them to find each other without the Game Makers interfering and pushing them together), the smallest amount of time would be three days... And considering that it was already mid-day during their second day in this miserable arena, Maize was feeling more than a little antsy. She wasn't a lucky person (_obviously_). She didn't think that she would be getting away without shedding blood.

As soon as she finished the staff, Maize unzipped her pack and pulled out the baby rabbit they had caught earlier and began to gut and skin the animal. Cana began to build a very small fire on the dry sandbank using only dry wood from a tree that had fallen two yards away from the stream, he started off by using some dried-out twigs that he lit with one of their matches before building a teepee shape with his collected logs to promote airflow and decrease the likely-hood of leaving a smoke trail indicating their location to anyone watching the skies. The rabbit took only twenty minutes to finish cooking, considering how small it was, and was nicely filling. By that point, the water had finished being cleansed and the both of them took careful sips of the cool liquid, not wanting to throw it up because they drank too fast, until it was all gone.

This time Maize made their little area disappear, leaving no trace that she and Cana had used the stream as a rest stop, while her District partner refilled their canisters and plopped another water cleansing tablet inside of them. They would _not_ be making camp near the stream, after all if they found the stream it was likely that someone else would encounter it as well, and they would probably never return to it. She wanted to continue to get as far away from the dam as possible. This time she chose the direction that they would be taking, south from the dam, before they once more began trekking through the forest, only stopping when one of them needed to use the restroom.

The sound of two cannons firing in the distance made them pause as they looked at one another anxiously. Two more tributes dead. Six tributes left. The Career Pack was probably going to be splitting up about now. She knew that Annie wasn't one of those cannons, she could only hope that it meant two more of the Career Pack was dead, but the more logical explanation was that the tributes for 10 were dead now.

She was barely able to convince Cana to continue climbing up the hill they were scaling with the promise that they would be resting for the night in a tree above. The arena was like a valley with the cornucopia located in the _lowest_ part of the valley. Maize didn't know much about dams, but she had loved _everything_ about the ocean during her first life (she was going to be a marine biologist but had even debated becoming an oceanographer before she eventually decided that wanted to work with marine life more, it was probably what she missed the most about her first life). The best place to be when a tsunami warning has been issued is above high ground and at _least_ ten miles away from the coastline. They were already about fifteen-sixteen miles away from the dam. Even then Maize did not feel very confident with the distance between them and the impending flood.

After all, this wasn't going to be a natural event, this would be an induced "tragedy" by the Game Makers. Who knows how many gallons of water they are going to drop onto the tributes, they were sadistic enough to not even give a fuck about the laws of nature (or common sense) and just flood the whole arena anyway when the dam breaks. Maize was still inwardly planning on climbing the tallest tree on hand the moment she heard the dam crack.

The moment that they reached the top of the hill, they took a quick water break, Cana had been quietly pleading her for over an hour already, before scaling a sturdy looking tree and tying themselves to the trunk for the night. It wasn't too difficult to convince Cana to break open the last of their dried food for dinner tonight. They ate in companionable silence as they got themselves comfortable before they began to drift off into Morpheus' realm. The peace was only briefly interrupted at what she assumed was midnight for the Death Recap: Waverly's young face is projected onto the false sky first before both of the tributes from 10 grace the screens. Maize prays that their deaths weren't painful and that they were in a better place as she subtly kisses her palm and rubs her fist over her chest.

_Maize bit her lip to the point where it bled, as she muffled the broken sobs from escaping her lips and alerting the last two remaining members of the Career Pack where she was. She clutched Cana's bloody District token in her hand, it's weight leaving an imprint in the palm of her hand. Either way, she wept._

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**Words: 1,355**

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_Edited~ February 9th, 2020_


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three:**_ Cana Fairgrovel_

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"Psst." an annoying sound hissed quietly making Maize frown in her sleep, "Maize, _mavi,_ wake up. I really have to pee."

She groaned softly in annoyance as she opened her eyes to glare at Cana blearily, "Really Cana? I told you to do your business _before_ we scaled the tree."

Cana looked at her sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck before whispering back, "I drank too much water. Are you coming down to watch my back or not?"

Maize sighed before stretching out her limbs languidly, "You _know_ I am, dummy. And watch your mouth, no one needs to hear that kind of language when they are half asleep..." she half-grumbled as they both untied themselves from the tree and their respective branches, Maize made sure that her knife was strapped to her leg before beginning to climb down. At the bottom of the tree she had hidden her newly carved bō staff underneath leaves and other similarly colored roots. She gingerly lifted it up with her foot, the palm of her hand lightly smacking against the wood as she gripped it confidently. Cana only rolled his eyes at her fondly before leading the way. They never did their business at the base of their 'home tree.'

Not only would it be gross (and possibly unsanitary), but the smell might attract people or animals to where they are sleeping. Instead, they take a five-minute walk in whatever direction the person who needs to go wants. So in the end, Maize guards Cana's back as he urinates on a tree. It was awkward at first but it was better than the alternative of one of them being literally caught with their pants down by a bloodthirsty tribute.

"Done." he whispers as he pulls up his zipper and they quietly begin to make the walk back.

They were two minutes away from their tree when everything went to hell. Suddenly leaves were loudly being crunched as the sound of beating footsteps made their way towards them. A deep battle cry poured out of the mouth of the boy from District 2 as he wields a heavy-looking sword over his head in the direction of Cana's vulnerable neck.

"Cana!" his name is ripped out of her throat as she manages to shove him slightly to the side but isn't able to prevent her District partner from taking some of the blow as blood spurts from a new gash in Cana's side. The fourteen-year-old lets out an anguished cry, but Maize can't afford to keep her eyes off the older teen in front of her. At seventeen-years-old, Tiberius Shimmer was a huge bulky mass of muscle, who had probably been bred for the Hunger Games (it was often seen as an honor for the tributes from District 2 to attend and volunteer for the Games).

His eyes were wild and cruel as he swung his sword once more in Cana's direction. Maize whacked his leading forearm with her bō before jabbing him in the center of his chest and neck in quick succession. While he gasped for air she smacked him as hard as she could across his head, ignoring the horrible sounding crack as Tiberius stumbled to the ground, before whacking him in the same spot and then once across his windpipe for good measure.

BOOM.

A cannon fires above their heads.

Maize has just killed someone. But she doesn't have any time to contemplate it before she begins to hear the sounds of feminine shouts in the distance. It seems the Career Pack hadn't quite split up yet and the female members were now heading in their direction. She turned to Cana who was pale from blood loss and began tugging his uninjured arm, they needed to leave the scene of the murd- they needed to go now before the others found them.

"Move." she whispered with panicked urgency, in her left hand she held her bō while her left pulled Cana along before coming to a thicket that would cover both of their bodies and began pushing Cana down first before crawling under beside him. The thicket was like a small cave made out of a dense group of bushes and two small trees where the ground underneath the foliage was hollowed out (kind of like a makeshift trench or small borrow).

Cana was panting beside her as he made a small pained sound, "_Kutomba_, it hurts." he hissed, cursing at his pain.

"Let me see?" she demanded as she gently tugged onto his hoodie to get a look at the wound. It was deep. And it looked like Tiberius had cut through the muscle in Cana's shoulder. Tears were streaming down the younger teen's face. He was in _pain_, and she couldn't do anything about it. Maize helped him pull off the rest of his sweater before ripping off the torn sleeve and putting to the side for now and using the rest of the fabric to press onto the wound despite Cana's pained groans in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

(_"It's not going to work. Blood loss will kill him before the infection even sets in. You don't have the supplies necessary to help him." a voice that sounded suspiciously like her Auntie Calla whispered in her mind. She resolutely ignored it)_.

"_Inauma_..." he whispered in pain, "Hurts too much."

"Shhh, it's going to be okay." she hushed him, trying to calm him down.

He grabbed her hand firmly. "No Maize it's _not_ going to be okay."

_(The words echoed around in her mind, reminding her of the outburst Cana had on the train when they first pulled into the Capitol)._

"Shut up. That's not an _option_." she said firmly, ignoring the burning behind her eyes and the tightness in her throat.

A small sob escaped from Cana's throat, "Maize _please_." he implored her, "I'm not gonna make it, I can feel it..."

"No, no, no _nononono_. It's _okay_, I'm not going to let you-"

Cana lifted the leather necklace from around his neck and placed it in her hand. His District token was a necklace with a small wooden charm in the shape of a star. It was his mother's. "Give it back to her for me." he pleaded softly, all the fight gone from his voice.

Maize had to swallow her tongue to keep a shrill distressed scream from escaping her throat, "Give to your mama _yourself_." she protested weakly, as she caressed the dying boy's cheek to wipe away his falling tears.

He snorted, a wet pained giggle escaping from his bloody lips before it turned into a small cough. "Don't give up. You gotta wi-"

"Cana?" she whispered softly as tears streamed down her face.

BOOM.

"Nononononononono." Maize clutched Cana's still body to her chest, "_Usiende_!" she pleaded. "Please don't go."

Cana's brown eyes were staring blankly up at her, his face left in a permanent expression of pain and hope with his death.

_Nononononononononononono_.

This _wasn't_ supposed to happen.

She was supposed to save him.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" a female voice shrieked, "Tiberius!"

Maize would hear the hovercraft arriving to take the bodies of Cana and Tiberius. She had to leave before the crane lowered to take Cana away or it would give her hiding place away to the remaining two members of the Career Pack. But she didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave Cana alone. He deserved more than that. She gently shut his eyes before pressing a watery kiss on his still warm forehead.

"_Requiescat en pace_ my dear _friend_." she whimpered into his temple, quickly pressing another kiss to his head before laying him down gently on the ground and bringing Cana's token to her lips kissing it gently before fisting it roughly in her hand and rubbing her fist on her chest in grief. _Goodbye_.

She ran out of the thicket as the crane lowered.

"There!" she heard a shout in the distance as the sound of pounding footsteps approaching her location.

Maize bolted from her spot before running towards a group of tightly packed trees and began to climb desperately. She bit her lip to the point where it bled, muffling the broken sobs that wanted to escape from her lips as the crane began to lift the corpse of her District partner in the air and the last two remaining members of the Career Pack appeared below. She clutched Cana's bloody District token in her hand, it's weight leaving an imprint in the palm of her hand.

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**Words: 1,407**

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_Edited February 9th, 2020_

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_If you want to see the Pinterest board I made for this fic. Just add /maria_MaraChan/thg-ff-idea/ after typing 'pinterest. com' (pushed together of course)._


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four:**_ The Great Flood_

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The sun had risen an hour ago. Maize couldn't find it in her to move. She sat listlessly in the same tree she'd been sitting in since the hovercraft had collected Cana's body. The two remaining members of the Career Pack killed one another after breaking out into an argument over the death of Tiberius. It was just Maize and Annie left in the arena. She wasn't planning on killing the redhead. Hell, she wasn't planning on doing anything. She didn't want to _move_.

Cana's pain-filled expression and groans of pain looping constantly in her mind. Cana was dead. He was never going to wake up again. Cana was never going to smile shyly up at her or request another chocolate shake. Cana was never going to join in the work song while tending to the groves. Cana was never going to see his mama again. Cana was never going to his sisters and brothers again. Cana was never going to go home. Cana would never live this life again. Cana was gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. _Gonegonegonegone_.

Maize pressed her eyes closed as another bout of sobs shook her frame. She was supposed to protect him, she was supposed to make sure that he got home! He wasn't supposed to die! He wasn't supposed to get struck by Tiberius' sword. TIBERIUS! She killed him too. Tiberius may have been from 2, a part of the Career Pack, but he was a teenager. Someone with a family. A family that would never see their son again because of her.

She climbed down the tree with shaky legs, before stumbling in the direction where she had killed Tiberius. His body was long gone, but blood still decorated the ground where the fight had occurred. Most of it was probably Cana's, poor Cana why didn't he move out of the way faster- why hadn't she covered his body with her own, she kneeled down by the patch of blood before once more displaying her grief by kissing her palm before balling her hand up into a fist and rubbing it over her heart.

"I'm sorry Tiberius." she whispered before sniffling morosely, "I- You- I didn't _want_ to- You _hurt_ Cana... and Cana's _dead_." she whimpered as tears streamed down her face, "I'm _sorry_. So-so sorry. Just trying to _live_ too."

The smell of the earth and the metallic tinge of blood filled her nostrils as she pressed her face to the ground morosely. She wasn't sure exactly when she had face-planted into the ground as her sobs shook her entire frame, but she couldn't really be bothered. In her grief, she had even momentarily forgotten that she was being watched, that her entire breakdown was being televised for all of Panem to see. A bitter quiet part of her mind wanted to laugh at the Capitolites watching the screens, they had to be bored out of their minds now that the last two remaining tributes had gone off the deep. (Was this why they broke the dam the first time around? Were they tired of waiting for the _loony_ tributes to kill each other?).

Turning her face so that she could breathe properly she turned her head to the side where a pinging sound was ringing in the air. A small parachute landed close by. Maize sat up before half-heartedly pulling the parachute and the silver looking container attached to it closer to her. It was similar to a thermos, although larger and more similar to the size of a small metallic lunch box, except that it hissed when she opened it.

"_Don't give up. Eat. He wouldn't want to see you this way. -Seeder_" was written on a small white card at the top, a small water bottle and a grilled cheese sandwich. Her stomach roared with hunger and her throat suddenly felt parched. Maize pressed her cracked lips together before deciding to take a sip of the cool water being provided by her Mentor. She'd forgotten really, that Seeder and Chaff were watching her. That they wanted her to survive. That Seeder _believed_ in her.

Her hands shook as she picked up the grilled cheese and took a tentative bite. It was good. Her eyes burned again with tears, but Maize wasn't going to cry anymore. Her baba and mama were probably watching. Amla. She was glad that she had volunteered in her cousin's place. Her cousin was too gentle for a place like this, it would have _killed_ her. Maize hoped that the baby would be born healthy. God, she prayed that her parents had done as she asked and not let Birch and the others watch the Games...

It was sad. Terribly so. That even with so many people watching and counting on her to come home, the grilled cheese sandwich filling her belly felt like a last meal.

She drank the remaining water with gusto after chewing the last morsel of sandwich before shakily standing up. Her legs had unfortunately fallen asleep, so she had to deal with the annoying prickling under her skin as she walked. Maize patted the zipped-up pocket where she had hidden Cana's token for safekeeping to double-check that it was still on her. It was. She wasn't going to be trying too hard to survive, but she wouldn't let her family see her just wither away on the screen. Seeder didn't deserve to watch her tribute just give-

The ground shook menacingly.

~**CR**~A~_CK_~

Maize's head whipped around to look at where the dam was, her eyes grew large with fear as adrenaline pumped throughout her body. Water was flooding at an alarming rate towards her. Maize bolted in the opposite direction before scaling the first tall and sturdy tree she could find. She climbed and climbed until her weight couldn't be supported anymore, not that it mattered much as the wave hit her tree with a fury. Coldwater crashing into her back, leaving bruises and scrapes behind. The tree held strong for a moment before it was uprooted and began to be carried by the wave.

She gripped the bark with all of her strength before the wave caused her to crash with another still rooted tree and dislodged her. Her lips were pressed shut as Maize became completely submerged under the freezing water. She fought with the strong current to poke her head up to the surface, air-filled her lungs with a loud desperate gasp as Maize struggled to tread water with such strong currents and debris underneath her.

"Ahhhh!" she screamed in pain, accidentally gargling water when she opened her mouth in pain when a part of the deadwood in the water punctured her side. Red blood surrounded her in the water as she was pulled under once more. Water was filling her open mouth and choking her, but Maize was able to break the surface once more, coughing and gasping for air. She needed to keep swimming. The cold was making her whole body feel numb. A tree that had been uprooted by the flood floated by her and she made a last-ditch effort to hang onto it. Groaning in effort and pain she tried to haul the top half of her body over it.

BOOM.

The tree hit debris harshly throwing her off and back under the water. Maize could barely keep her eyes open under the water, not that it helped her much as a branch hit her in the back of her head and she began to lose consciousness. Water filling her lungs painfully.

The whole world was muffled around her.

The last waking thought she had was relief that it was all _over_. She was dead.

Above the water, the host for the Hunger Games announced the winner.

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**Words: 1,296**

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_Edited February 9th, 2020_


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five:**_ nOtdEaD_

* * *

One moment she wasn't and the next she was.

And wasn't _that_ the most jolting and terrifying thing that she had ever realized.

A purple-tinted nurse smiled widely –_fakedangerous_\- at her, "She's awake!" the woman announced.

Maize Galloshire was alive.

_Nonononononononononononono._

Someone was screaming. It was a high-pitched _ugly_ thing. The sound an animal made when it was mortally injured and dying.

"Sedate her!"

Someone was attacking her face, nails biting into her cheeks, no doubt drawing blood from how much it stung. Hands grabbed at her, trying to restrain her flailing limbs. The screaming sounded more desperate now, shrill and unforgiving.

_Nonononononononononononono_.

A man in white jabbed her in the leg. Injecting her with something. The screaming was tapering down and Maize's throat burned something awful.

_(Ah. It was me. I was screaming.)_

The world turned **black**.

The second time Maize woke up she was restrained. It didn't go much better than the first time around and would have probably been worse if Seeder wasn't there beside her. Maize _wailed_. At times almost choking on her tears as mourned. Mourned for Cana. Mourned for Annie Cresta who wasn't supposed to _drown_. Mourned for all of the tributes that had died in the arena. Mourned for all the tributes who had _ever_ died because of the Hunger Games (_Aloe's young face blurred across her vision_) and those that _would_ in the future. She mourned for Seeder and Chaff. Maise mourned for Finnick Odair. Mourned for all of the so-called _Victors_ of the Games.

Maize mourned for _herself_.

They sedated her again.

The third time was the charm. She woke up feeling numb. Her eyes crusty with its unnatural sleep, she blinked languidly before staring up at the white ceiling. The room is bare of personality and lacked any visible windows or doors and smelled strongly of antiseptic. She was probably in a recovery room. She was naked underneath the silky sheets covering her frame, her right arm had an IV inserted into the crook of her cubital in the most visible vein. Her side, where she'd been stuck with debris still ached something awful and the skin surrounding the wound was puckered under her gentle fingertips. With her left hand, she pressed her palm to her eyes.

Maize would not cry again. But it did not mean that she wasn't tired or even morbidly displeased with her apparent survival. A male Avox entered the room when a portion of the wall slid open, holding a small tray of food in his hands before placing it on her lap and pushing a button on the bed to raise her into a sitting position. Just as silently as he had appeared he disappeared, the dooring shutting silently behind him. Maize looked down at her lap to find a creamy looking bowl of tomato soup and a small plate with mango slices on the side.

Mechanically she eats the soup, spoon by spoon, until it is all gone. The mango is sweet and juicy, leaving trails of sticky yellow fluid to drip down her fingers and onto her hand. When all the slices disappeared, she licks the juice from her hand in a manner that she was sure would make Goldie cringe. Absently, she thinks of Seeder. Maize may have been somewhat out of it earlier, but she knew for a fact that her mentor had been by her side when she'd previously woken up. She could practically feel the shadow of the woman's gentle hands on her skin as she caressed Maize's face and rubbed her back as she sobbed.

Her hand was bare.

Panic filled Maize's body. Where was her _ring_? Where was her Nanya's wedding ring? Where was Cana's token? She _had_ to bring it back home! A scream was building up in her throat as she breathed in and out harshly as if she'd been running for miles without pause. The world was darkening around the edges of her vision once more.

When she wakes up again, it is to the frustrating knowledge that they keep sedating her whenever she displays _any_ form of emotion. As if to punish the newest Victor for being _human_. Victor. God, she was a _Victor_. The Games were over. She would go home. She would be enveloped in the arms of her baba and mama. She would hold Birch, Piper & Brier, Hibis, Lilac and her infant twin brothers in her arms once more. Amla would throw her skinny arms around Maize's waist in a hug. Life would go on.

Except that in a way, it wouldn't.

Cana would never go home.

Cana would never be embraced by his mother or his sisters.

Cana would never play with his brothers again.

_Cana was gone._

Maize was also gone. The girl that had been taken from her District was gone and in exchange, a broken individual wearing her face would come back.

When the same male Avox came in once more she numbly ate the food before once more sinking into the welcomed oblivion of the drugs being pumped into her arm. The next couple of days followed the same pattern. Wake, eat, sleep. Until she wakes up to find that the needle that had been housed in her elbow crease was now gone. Her skin is strangely clear of any imperfections that had gathered over the years, smoothness reminiscent to that of a newborn babe's. Her side didn't bare any marking from where the debris had ripped through her, and her hair fell into perfect little silken curls around her face like a curtain. There, at the end of the bed is a replica of the outfit she'd worn in the arena. Free of tares, dirt, and blood that had clung onto her during those last hours.

She stares at it blankly before standing, her legs surprisingly strong under her, not caring that she was now completely naked in the room (_all_ of Panem could be _watching_ her now and she wouldn't give a single flying _fuck_). Her hand was already holding the jacket before she even consciously thought of grabbing it before nimble fingers unzipped the pockets. _There!_

Like a marionette with its strings cut, Maize sank to the floor in relief. A wooden star bound to a thin leather band clutched in her hand along with her Nanya's ring. She shakily slipped the ring onto her right index finger before lifting the necklace over her head and letting it fall onto her collarbone. She would wear it at all times until she could personally give it Cana's mama. Standing up once more she pulled on the underwear laid out before letting the uniform mold onto her body like armor, zipping up the hoodie all the way like a shield. The wall-door slid open and Maize walked out unafraid for the first time in what felt like a long, long time.

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**Words: 1,145**

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_Edited February 11th, 2020_


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six:**_ Victor is born (pt1)_

* * *

Maize stepped out into a deserted hall that only went in one direction. Her clothed feet moved quietly against the marble floor, aimlessly making her way down the hall until she comes to a big chamber at the end of the hall. She could see this world's version of the paparazzi in the room as well as her Mentors, escort, and stylists. She stops for a moment at the edge, none of them had spotted her yet. Chaff was charming a Capitolite with a camera while Seeder stood proudly at his side. Goldie was flittering around in excitement with Tesoro, Yurida, and Circo as they all puffed their chests with self-importance. Orion was having his hand shaken by an enthusiastically dressed woman (?), most likely congratulating him on his elegant designs.

The moment she gathers her nerves and steps out of the hall, the cameras will be on her and Maize will never go back to a time before becoming a Victor, to being just Maize. She will be forever marked by the Hunger Games spiritually as she is physically.

"Seeder!" she shouts, her voice taking on a tinge of hope and sheer gratitude just to be in the woman's presence, "Chaff!"

Well, there went her element of surprise.

Seeder's smile was wide and genuine on her lips when she turned to look at her and Maize found herself practically flying to get into the woman's arms. Her arms wrapped tightly around the woman, the older Victor returning the gesture with just as much force as the chamber exploded into noise. A genuine smile tugged onto the corners of Maize's lips, despite the nauseating artificial smells that the Capitol preferred, Seeder still smelled like home.

"I'm so proud of you, _mtoto_. Go now, Orion will take care of you." the woman murmurs softly into her ear, the sweet endearment for a child almost made Maize want to cry. Almost. Before long she is being led by Orion out of the chamber and onto the tribute elevator to the eleventh floor.

Her stylist crew is quick to lead her into the dining room where a small feast had been laid out. She picks gingerly at the lamb and hearty potatoes but does tearfully down the mango nutrition shake, before being led back into 'her' room by the prep team. Circo, Tesoro, and Yurida make small talk as they prep her for Orion and the event that is to follow. She learns that the medical team that had attended to her completed a procedure called the 'full body polish' and now there wasn't a single 'flaw' left on her skin. That _included_ her back. The once raised scars from her whipping, just _gone_ as if they had never marked her skin to begin with. She had lost some weight during her three days in the arena, but even then, she didn't look nearly as bad as she had when Maize first arrived in the Capitol.

The prep team was quick as they bathed her, worked on her hair, nails, and makeup. They didn't even have to get rid of any 'unwanted' body hair either, another thing done unwillingly to her unconscious body while she was down in medical. Yurida explained at her prompt that it was an advanced form of laser hair removal that would prevent any hair floccules from growing in the applied areas again. Maize was annoyed that she would never grow back leg or armpit hair again if she wanted to (but was eternally grateful that they had more-or-less left her bush alone). It was just simply yet another choice taken from her by the Capitol.

Orion walks in chirpily as the prep team finishes with a dress thrown over his shoulder. The dress was a beautiful pale sage color with lace around the bodice and sleeves that came below her shoulders. Pretty bead patterns in the form of flowers and greenery covered the bodice, while the skirt was flowy and modest coming down to her mid-calf. She wore some plain silver heels showing off her painted toenails, and her hair pulled into intricate little braids around her head like a headband was decorated with tiny flowers between strands. Her jewelry followed the same modest but beautiful pattern and her makeup wasn't over the top and simple compared to what she had worn during her interview.

The dress made her look and feel like she was Maize again. It did not reveal her skin or make her uncomfortable. It made her look like the teenager she was, rather than the 'sexy goddess' that had made the Capitol's eyes look upon her. She shoots Orion a grateful look and is given a knowing one in return, Orion had quickly realized despite her false smiles and platitudes that Maize preferred a simpler and more elegant look that revealed little to no skin rather than the more scandalous looks that the Capitol embraced.

She was once more led to the tribute elevator where she was reunited with her Mentors and an enthusiastic Goldie. "Oh, darling! You look radiant!" the escort had crowed when the trio had gotten their first look at her.

Seeder simply took Maize's hand in her own with a gentle smile while Chaff grinned widely as the elevator began to move. It was customary for the Victor of the Games to rise from beneath the stage with their support team. The prep team would exit the elevator first followed by Goldie and then Orion, her Mentors and then finally herself. Even before the elevator doors open, Maize could hear the raucous cheering of the crowds. Goldie and her prep team are already peacocking in importance as they allow wide pompous grins to paint across their faces, even Orion looks ready to bask in the 'glory' of the moment.

The anthem booms across the speakers before Caesar Flickerman starts to greet the impatient audience. The elevator doors open and the prep team steps out as they are introduced one-by-one, making the crowd break out into applause once more. Goldie is then introduced, to the woman's eternal joy, followed by Orion who is welcomed with booming cheers by the enraptured audience. Seeder gives her hand one more comforting squeeze before she and Chaff take the stage, the crowd goes wild for about five minutes as the Capitolites lavish their Victors with praise.

"Now our Victor for the 70th Hunger Games, Maize Galloshire!"

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**Words: 1,069**

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_Edited February 20th, 2020_


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven:**_ Victor is born (pt2)_

* * *

The cheers for her team are nothing compared to the screams Maize receives when she walks out onto the stage.

Despite the dread clinging to her back, she smiles warmly at the crowd giving a small wave towards the audience as Caesar comes to her side and offers his arm like a gentleman before leading her to the ornate chair like throne that she would be occupying during the rest of the show. For the next three hours, she would be forced to relive, _in her opinion_, the worst moments of the Hunger Games. The highlights of the Games usually depend on the winner, but the most important part were generally the death recaps of each fallen tribute.

"My dear, how does it feel to be the Victor for this year's Hunger Games?" Caesar asks her, his neon yellow eyebrows waggling in delight.

Maize smiled gently at him, hiding the disgust she felt not only for the Hunger Games but for the Capitol and its citizens, "Relieved," she answered semi-honestly, "relieved that I get to go back home to my family, and of course that I get to see you all once more on this stage." she added coyly as she flashed the cheering crowd a smile and a wink.

The interviewer laughed gaily, "And we are more than pleased to have you with us here! Aren't we?" he asked the audience as they erupted in cheers and catcalls. The man turned to look at her once more, "Now we are going to be viewing the highlights of this year's Hunger Games and your rise to victory!" he proclaimed enthusiastically, "Are you ready my dear?"

She didn't let her smile strain, even though the only thing she wanted to do was writhe on the ground and howl at the injustice of it all, "Am I ever Caesar." Maize responded in mock enthusiasm.

Numbness falls over her once more as the lights dimmed and the Seal appeared over the lowering screen. This year's Hunger Games was one of the shortest in the last _seven_ decades of the events, but that only meant that the Capitol could _emphasize_ the gory deaths at the bloodbath and the one's following after it. They practically _sped_ through the Tribute Parade and the interviews –_CanaCanaCana_\- before beginning to play the clips of the bloodbath. All the while a story was being spun on the screen. Maize and Cana -_ithurtsithurtsithurts_\- working together in a gentle camaraderie as they flourished in the arena despite the struggles others were facing. Until that partnership came to an _end_ at the hands of the District 2 tribute. Her fight against Tiberius was seemingly glorified by the Gamemakers as was the killing blow she'd dealt the other teenager –she had actually _caved_ his head in, _monster_\- before dragging her dying partner away to safety. Maize's battle against the flood was capitalized, even as they showed the brief clip of a deranged Annie –_she_ was _supposed_ to _live_\- drowning after getting whacked face-first into a rooted tree. Her small smile was still painted across her lips even as her –_deadunfeelingmonster_\- eyes stared up at her triumph as the hovercraft lifted her unconscious body in the air.

The audience, once more displaying their aggressive animal-like habits, howled and cackled in excitement as they cheered for _their_ -_she wanted to claw off her skin and_ _scream, dirtydirtydirtydirty_\- newest Victor. Because Maize wasn't Maize anymore. She was a Victor. The Capitol's little Victor. Nothing more. The anthem played once more over the speakers, audience members practically swaying with the beat, as President Snow graced the stage and made his way to her seated form. From far away it was easy for Maize to understand why so many Capitolites were quick to fall under his spell, his seemingly grandfather-like gentleness as he smiled _indulgingly_ at the audience, as if they were young naïve _children_, set her skin prickling. But his eyes –_windows to the soul that they were_\- were black, cruel and unforgiving like a predator as he surveyed her up and down, measuring what she was _worth_ in his eyes.

The little girl that had trailed after him was young maybe five or six years old, like Hibis, smiled widely up at her from her place as she carried the Victor crown on a small pillow. Snow turned to the child grabbing the crown before gently placing it upon Maize's head with a –_fakefakefake_\- smile on lips. The crowd once more erupted into loud screams of exaltations.

Maize smiles at them, giving small gentle waves at their enthusiasm as if she didn't want to hurt _each_ and _every_ audience member cheering her name for the part they played in _Cana's suffering_, for the deaths of _all_ the children that had suffered in the last seven decades because of their perverted version of entertainment and punishment. With that, Caesar finally bids the crowd a fine evening, pointing out that it was late and that they should all tune in for the final interviews the next day.

Goldie is quick to escort her to the President's mansion for the Victory Banquet, Seeder and Chaff quietly praising her for her quiet demeanor and overall good attitude during _the_ interview. The banquet was spent with very little eating despite its name, not that Maize was feeling very hungry after having to watch her peers die on the screens for the last three hours, and schmoozing Capitol officials and the Sponsors that had provided for her last meal in the arena. Flash after flash of the cameras went off as seemingly every member in attendance wanted a picture with her. Maize was relieved when they returned back to the Training Center and she was allowed to sink into her bed and sleep. _She never wanted to wake up_. But the final interview would be at two in the afternoon before Maize would finally be allowed to board the train home.

_Without_ Cana.

She ignores the _wrongness_ brimming behind her chest and fell into a fitful sleep. She is woken three hours before the interview (they had arrived from the Victory Banquet early in the morning, hell the sun had _risen_ by the time Maize had finally plopped onto the soft bed provided in the Training Center), for the prep team to help get ready. She downs two shakes for breakfast, deciding to avoid solid food completely for her post-morning meal before they get to work. There wasn't much that they had to get done, re-paint her nails and makeup before pulling Maize's hair out of the braids from the previous night into a different style before Orion appeared once more to help her into the new dress.

It was a pastel pink color that clung to her shape like a second skin with buttons going down from the front all the way to the slip in front of the dress so that she would be able to walk easier. The sleeves were long but puffy at the top and had a matching button at the wrist, she wore simple matching pastel heels to match and the -_her-_ Victor crown was perched on her head delicately by Orion.

The interview thankfully takes place down the hall, the crowning chair -_she'd like to set it on fire_\- from the previous night had been moved inside and Caesar's comfortable looking seat had been arranged across from her's in a 'tasteful manner.' She was just relieved that the interview wouldn't have a live audience this time.

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**Words: 1,250**

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_Edited: March 19th, 2020_


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight:**_ Homecoming_

* * *

The interview had been going well overall, the easy repartee that she had established with Caesar carrying over. The man seemed genuinely thrilled that she was alive and had been crowned this year's Victor. Maize swallowed the guilt behind a blank expression, refusing to dwell on Annie Cresta while the cameras were on her face.

"So, my dear, I've been so curious since you first came across Annie Cresta during the arena and said that phrase: 'walking wounded.' Would you care to explain it to me, dear?"

Of course, he would ask _that_.

Maize smiled softly as she let a pondering look bleed onto her face, "Walking wounded is a phrase we use back in my District to describe someone that had nothing left to lose only themselves. When I saw A-Annie walking through the forest, her face and demeanor just screamed that she was walking wounded. I remember her and Waverly during training. They were very close."

"Ah, like you and Cana?" Caesar interrupted as he made the connection.

She swallowed a lump in her throat, "Exactly. Waverly was Annie's Cana. When he was killed, she must have lost her mind."

"But not you!" Caesar proclaimed, in an attempt to change the morose subject, "No not you! You persevered through your grief and was able to overcome adversity to be here today!"

She sent the man a smile, "Yes, I was surprised when I woke up. I didn't think that I would survive the flood."

"But you did!" Caesar chirruped, "Now that you are going home, what are you most excited about?"

"Well definitely seeing my family again. I've really missed them," she answered honestly.

Caesar hummed for a moment, "Ah yes, you've spoken of them before! You have a large number of siblings. And you are the oldest among them correct?"

"Yes." she agreed, "But that is only if you don't count my cousin Amla, she is a year older than I and has been living with my family since she was six. She is like the older sister I have always wanted and loved, I am proud that I volunteered in her place for the Hunger Games and would do it again in a heartbeat."

Caesar laughed, it was not unkindly, "You are a very loyal person Maize, I admire that! I really do! I hope one day, we get to meet this family you speak so highly of!"

Hell no.

"As do I." she responded gently even though the lie seemed to burn her throat on its way out.

The back and forth continued for a while, Caesar asked her what she would miss the most about the Capitol and she responded the mango nutrient shakes (which was true), Caesar asked what she found the most fascinating about the Capitol and she would respond the citizens (also true, but not for the same reason she gave Caesar, Capitolites were fascinating in the same way a strange bug was under a microscope, everything about them was strange and abnormal from the fashions to their culture and customs). And it went on like that for another half an hour before Caesar gave her a hug and congratulated her once more for her Victory and signed off.

It was finally over.

Seeder throws her arm over Maize's shoulder as Goldie chatters on in excitement about the interview and the Victory Tour that would be occurring in six months, as if Maize wasn't already completely dreading it. They allow her to collect anything she wants from her room, Maize ends up deciding to take the nightgown she had been wearing since arriving to the Training Center before making sure that Cana's necklace is firmly tied around her neck and that her Nyanya's ring is in it's place around her index finger before striding out once more of the room.

She is peppered in hugs and kisses from her prep team in goodbye, before they are escorted to a car with blacked-out windows to the station where the train is waiting for them. Orion hugs and plants a kiss onto her cheek before Goldie loops her arm with Maize's and leads her onto the train. Seeder and Chaff seem to visibly relax once the train finally takes off.

So does Maize.

Despite being in the dress Orion had made for her, Maize was slowly starting to feel like herself as she sat down for dinner. Goldie had apparently instructed the Avoxes on the train to keep a supply of the nutrient shakes she'd come to enjoy in the Capitol, she thanked the naïve escort for thinking of her earning a bright smile from Goldie as tittered happily. After their meal, they all sit together in the lounge car and watch the replay of the interview. Seeder once more compliments Maize for keeping her head and for how calm she was during the whole process. It made her feel better to know that the role she had created for the public was solid and that she was as good at acting as she'd hoped to be during the interview process. Seeder said she was _believable_, that her mask was almost perfect. Only her eyes, occasionally, didn't reflect the emotions her face and smile portrayed. Seeder promised that not many people would be able to spot it, but the woman would help Maize fix her mask before the Victory Tour.

Seeder tells her that it would be better not to change out of the dress until after they arrived back to District 11, besides, Maize was too tired, mentally and physically, to put up a fuss and only sipped on another shake –_chocolate_, because that was Cana's _favorite_\- as she lounged on the couch with her Mentor's. Even now they were still mentoring her, telling her what she should expect when they arrive at the station and what the Victor's Village is like, how it feels to have the eyes of people on you at all times.

The grimy station for District 11 has been decorated with the extra flowers that had bloomed during the season and the platform itself is full of cameras waiting to get a picture of the newest Victor in her home District. Even her homecoming couldn't be something for _just_ Maize, no it had to be for _all_ of Panem. Cheapening the feelings of love and relief in her heart as bitterness stung her.

She retouches her lipstick, and Chaff being uncharacteristically stoic and gentle pulls an errant curl behind her ear before he offers both of his arms to Maize and Seeder. She locks her arm around his and Seeder does the same on his other side as well before they are escorted by a self-important Goldie onto the platform. Flashes and clicks fill the air as Maize smiles _-falsely- softly_ for the lenses.

Maize is home...

Well, almost.

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**Words: 1,142**

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_Edited April 10th, 2020_


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine:**_ The Village_

* * *

The mayor had welcomed her enthusiastically at Maize's return. But it was nothing compared to screams of joy coming from her family. A cold unfeeling thing that had built up in her chest unfurled and melted as Birch jumped over the fence separating them and ran into her arms.

"You're here! You're here! You're really here!" he cried into her shoulder. Maize pressed her lips to the top of his head in a loving manner as more little arms wrapped around her, Brier and Piper gripping onto the back of her shirt as Hibis and Lilac ran into her legs. The ugliness from the Hunger Games and the Capitol was being washed away by their tiny hands and genuine gratitude for her return. She feels the strong and comforting arms of her baba wrap around all of them as her mama starts to pepper kisses onto her face.

"My baby is home." she murmurs in overjoyed disbelief into her ear. A wide genuine grin tugs onto the corners of mama's lips. For the first time since she volunteered, since Cana died in her arms...

She feels truly alive.

"Maize!" Amla crows. Her curly black hair is wild in a sophisticated manner that only her cousin was able to pull off. Her smile was wide and her eyes full of unshed tears. A choked off whine escapes from her throat. One moment Amla was on the other side of the line and the next she was on her. Wrapping her smaller frame into her arms. Maize could feel the forming bump of her future niece or nephew pressing against her own flat stomach. Joy. So much joy and love fills Maize's very essence as she returns the embrace.

She had saved Amla.

She had saved that unborn baby.

She lets out a glorious and triumphant relieved laugh.

Not all was lost.

The whole District had been cleaned up and made to look 'nice' for the Capitol's cameras. Around her, all of the members of 11 had been gathered for her arrival. The crowd cheered at her arrival, as the mayor and Goldie escorted her to the stage. It eerily reminded Maize of her send-off during the reaping. Except, instead of pitying and haunted glances in her direction, her people were looking at her with relief and gratitude. Because of Maize, no one in her District would go hungry. The mayor briefly introduced her to the crowd as the winner of the 70th Hunger Games, making the crowd burst into enthusiastic cheers before they were dispersed by the Peacekeepers.

Maize holds hands with Birch on one side and Amla on the other, as her cousin regales her the tale of her wedding. Thorn smiles lovingly at his wife from Amla's side as he occasionally speaks up once in a while to add to the story, as Hibis gets a piggyback ride from the man. Piper and Brier are walking backwards in front of her so that they can watch Maize while they walk. Lilac runs around them on her short legs, giggles pealing out of her mouth every once in a while as Maize's parents lead them home.

Of course, the shack that she had grown up in wouldn't be her home for much longer. Seeder had explained to her that directly after the Welcoming Ceremony, Maize and her family would be moving into the Victor's Village. The woman was walking calmly alongside her parents, making small talk to the people that raised the new Victor. They would be collecting anything that they wanted to keep from the house and hand it over to the Peacekeepers in their entourage to carry it over to their new home. Goldie, was uncharacteristically, making up the rear with a curious Chaff as she observed Maize's family. To the Capitolite woman they probably made a strange sight. From what Maize had observed in the Capitol, couples rarely had more than one child and even then Maize still hadn't seen family units spending much time together.

The walk to their shack didn't take them too long, and despite the curious glances their group was getting from bystanders they were still giving the group a wide berth. Goldie eyed Maize's childhood home with barely concealed horror and disbelief, it was probably a wake-up call for the woman that poverty was a real thing that the Districts suffered from. Her family was quick to gather all of the essential items that they wanted, clothes and other items with sentimental value, like the molinillo that her Nyanya used to use to grind grains. Maize herself went to the small wooden chest in her shared bedroom before grabbing the small stack of photographs that their family owned, it was the only thing she really wanted. Anything else she found herself missing could be retrieved at a later date. After all the shack she had grown up in would still belong to her family. In the event that she passed her family would have to leave Victor's Village and move back to the outcropping.

Amla and Thorn kept her company as they watched the chaos from the door. Her sweet cousin regaling Maize the story of her wedding and her new home. Amla and her new husband wouldn't be coming with them to Victor's Village, it filled Maize with sadness that she wouldn't share a room with her cousin anymore, but it was expected. She was a married woman now. Amla and Thorn were excited to start their lives together, though they promised to come visit them often. Finally, they were on their way to the Village.

Her siblings skipped around her in excitement throughout their track, as her baba carried all of their clothes over his shoulders. Mama's back had been hurting her something awful, so Maize had strapped her infant brothers to her chest, cuddling them gently as they walked. Thorn helped carry some of the heavier items, like the cradle for the twins (it was the same one Maize had been rocked in to sleep). Victor's Village was beautiful, with ten mansion-sized homes with well-tended gardens and yards split up evenly into two rows. Brier and Piper were running around in awe while Hibis and Lilac cheered as they pointed at everything.

Goldie had taken the lead now as they approached the fourth house on the left side, before opening the door and turning to look at them in excitement, "Welcome to your new home!" she chirruped.

Maize's siblings were not shy as they barged into the beautifully styled home and began exploring. Her parents looked as uncomfortable as she did inside the house. It reminded Maize of the Capitol with its sleek and modern furnishing, it was clean, too clean for a simple family from the borders, Goldie helped them settle into the house as she showed them where all the rooms were. The largest room had been gifted to Maize, much to her discomfort, and was on the second floor with large wide windows that faced a wild meadow in the back of the house.

Her parents had been settled into the second largest room and Goldie was only too happy to help them order new and in-style nursery items from the Capitol. Her baba had only looked at the woman with wide eyes (disgust concealed from his features) as Goldie babbled about the wonderous items available in the Capitol. Mama was, thankfully, able to steer the conversation away from the Capitol and back to some nursery essential items, before Hibis crashed into Goldie's legs and started asking the Capiolite woman why her skin was pink. Chaff was quick to find humor in the situation and burst out into laughter despite Seeder's stern expression. By the time night settled, Maize was exhausted.

Her mama had made them a simple dinner in their new kitchen, it had taken them a couple of minutes to figure out how to use the complicated stove, before Maize showed them how to use the showers (which were infinitely easier to use than the ones in the Capitol) before they all went to sleep. Seeder promised to come back early in the morning with Goldie to help her get ready for the Parcel Day Ceremony (it would be the first of twelve, in which food packages were to be delivered to every person in the District, people in her old neighborhood would not be going hungry), before the District 11 Victor's Banquet where only the most high-ranking people in her District would be invited to attend.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" a gruttle scream ripped itself out of Maize's throat.

Sleep didn't last long.

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	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty:**_ Cana's Star_

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After a few weeks of obligated ceremonies and events, the cameras and reporters documenting Maize's every move finally packed up and left. Goldie had left with them, and slowly Maize's life was returning to as normal as it could be. Her family was trying. Baba and mama could not help or protect her from the night-terrors that plagued Maize's sleep, nor could they really take away the pain that the Hunger Games had inflicted upon her. Birch had taken to guarding her everywhere she went since Maize refused to just sit in the house -that didn't _feel_ like _home_ and probably never would because of what it represented to her- and instead started going back to work in the groves.

Her mama didn't work anymore, finally having the option to stay at home and care for her young children the way that they needed to be. Amla's pregnancy was progressing very well and it was now public knowledge that she and Thorn were expecting, though they were still hiding the date of conception. Her sweet cousin had come to visit her various times since Maize had arrived home, Amla was still working even though her hours were a lot more flexible and less intense since Maize was giving them a nice amount of wages to help supplement Thorn's income. Her baba was still working as well, mostly because he didn't feel right depending on his daughter, and because he'd been doing it all of his life and felt strange not working.

Birch, Piper, and Brier had also taken to shadowing her every step. Her siblings had missed her, and she them. But that didn't stop Maize from forcing the three stubborn children to wait for her at their old shack while Maize made the short trip to the shack where Cana had grown up in. Maize clutched the wooden star in her hand tightly, taking comfort in the necklace that her District partner had worn throughout their whole ordeal until his unfair death.

She hadn't had the opportunity to visit Cana's family until now. The copious ceremonies and non-stop video coverage had made it impossible for Maize to break away from the chaos until now. She was going to give a grieving family their son's/brother's token, it wasn't something that Maize wanted to be televised for the Capitol -his _real_ murderers- to see. It would be like spitting in Cana's face. He didn't deserve that and neither did his family. By the time that she was in front of the door, her heart was pounding furiously behind her chest, and Maize already wanted to cry. She knocked.

Ollie, Birch's best friend, answered the door. He looked just like Cana, only smaller and younger. Her heart panged with grief. The twelve-year-old looked exhausted and grief practically cloaked his whole frame. His eyes were wide and glassy as he looked at her with disbelief.

"Maize..." he gasped, before throwing his skinny arms around her waist. She quickly wrapped her arms around him as well, internally grateful that the boy didn't hate her.

"Is your mother home?" Maize asked him softly as she rubbed his back gently. Ollie simply nodded, without moving before stepping back and shouting.

"Mama! Maize's here!"

She allowed herself to be pulled by the preteen into the living quarters of their shack. Cana's mother looked at her with disbelief, her face sagging with grief and gratitude as she took in Maize's presence. "I'm sorry." Maize blurted out before the woman could say something. "I'm _so_ sorry. I tried so hard to- he _wasn't_ supposed to- Cana should've come _home_." she stuttered out as tears began to escape from her eyes. "I'm so _sorry_ that I came back- that he's _not_ here. _Sorrysorrysorry_."

Cana's mother wrapped her up into a warm hug as Maize broke down in her home, "It wasn' your fault Maize. Thank you. Thank you for tryin' so hard to bring him back to me. For being there for my baby. Thank you." she murmured into Maize's hair. Real, body-shaking sobs began to escape out of her lips as Maize released a month's worth of guilt and grief into the arms of her friend's mother. By the time the tears had stopped coming and Maize was able to breathe in without letting out any more whimpers and cries, they had ended up on the dirt floor. She pried her fingers open and pressed the carved star into the woman's hand.

Cana's mother let out a surprised gasp as a tearful Ollie approached them to stare at the wooden star in disbelief.

"Cana's nyota." the woman whispered almost reverently as she brought it to her lips and placed a gentle kiss. "Thank you, Maize. Thank you."

Maize smiled wetly at the woman, "I promised I'd bring it home. Cana wanted you to have it. We made a promise that whoever made it out would take care of the other's family... There is nothing I would _not_ do for you."

She was pulled into a hug once more. Guilt that she'd been steadily carrying with her since Cana's lifeless body had been taken by the Capitol slowly melting away from the care Maize was receiving at the hands of her deceased District partner's family.

"Asante. Thank you, Maize. Call me Auntie Cress, you will _always_ be welcomed here."

Ollie pulled her into his own hug before she left and whispered gratefully, "Thanks for bringing a part of Cana home to us. Thank you for _living_ Maize."

A weight had been lifted from her shoulders, even breathing was easier as she walked back to the Victor's Village with her siblings' hand in hand as they chatted about asinine things. For the first time since she had arrived back home, Maize slept throughout the entire night without a single nightmare starring in her dreams.

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	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One:**_ Skill (pt.1)_

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Maize dreamt of her last moments in the Arena last night. Of the crashing waves and how the water burned her throat and lungs as it invaded her. Of Cana's hopeless expression when... The mornings were difficult for Maize now in a way that they'd never been before. It was hard for her to snap out of her nightmare driven state and actually move in the mornings. Being around her family usually helped dissipate the horrors she'd experienced in the Capitol, but sometimes their company only made Maize feel even more broken.

It wasn't their fault. Maize was just different now. The concept of PTSD and even mild depression could explain away the majority of Maize's new issues... that is if people in her District knew what it was. To her family, Maize was jumpier and quick to try and defend herself. She didn't react well to screams anymore because sometimes she couldn't differentiate a cheerful scream from an anguished one. Nowadays, random objects would send Maize off into flashbacks of her times in the Capitol and in the Arena, which would make her irritable and crabby for the rest of the day.

The future always felt like it was looming over Maize's shoulders like an eternal black cloud of poisonous smog trying to suffocate living things. Maize was constantly aware of the fight on the horizon... so she trained. Every morning Maize ran until she felt a stick in her side and her legs trembled for relief, and every morning the time she ran increased. She did yoga in the morning for an hour and was often joined by all of her siblings now, before working on her strength. In the privacy of her room or with Seeder she trained with her bō staff. Seeder didn't really understand _why _Maize was still acting like was training to enter the arena, but she never turned Maize away.

Training with the bō was something that Maize had even started teaching Birch and the twins to do. Just because Maize was a Victor and would no longer be reaped didn't mean that her siblings were immune to the Capitol's barbaric Game. Her brother and sisters were sworn to secrecy after all their Uncle had been killed for doing what Maize was teaching them now. Baba had silently approved of the training even if mama fretted over getting caught. In the end, they decided not even Amla would know.

Working in the orchard was probably Maize's favorite part of her day. Despite no longer working the same grueling hours she'd been doing for most of her life, Maize would make her way to the grottos after lunch and work beside her peers until the evening. Joining in song with her District as she'd fill her peck bucket until the dismissal bell rang.

The biggest difference so far was in how others treated her. She got side-eyes from mostly everyone that walked by her. Some cautious and some grateful for the reprive her win brought to the people. Adults, in general, were warier of Maize now as if she would bring death upon their children by just walking too close. Younger children were curious, most not knowing the reason why she'd become infamous, only that she was the reason why they weren't going to bed starving every night. The adolescent she knew would nod their heads in her direction when they saw her coming, but all those of reaping age would mostly stare at her with envy and awe.

Maize privately thought that it was because she had lived where many others had failed. Her Victor status ensured that she would never be reaped again -_well until the Mockingjay appeared, but it wasn't like that was common knowledge_\- and that her family would never go hungry as long as she lived. Maize is what they want to be if the worse comes to pass and they are picked as the tributes for the District.

The sun was slowly starting to set over the horizon, the orange and red hues bleeding into the normally pale blue skies. A soft breeze tickled Maize's face and loose curls. Mama was inside making dinner as her siblings ran around the house merrily, while her Baba was probably still on his way home from work.

"All I want is nothing more/ To hear you knocking at my door.../ Cause if I could see your face once more/ I could die a happy girl I'm sure." Maize sang morosely as she sat in the field behind her home, "When you said your last goodbye/ I died a little bit inside/ And I lay in tears in bed all night/ Alone without you by my side."

The tale depicted in the song was an old one, of a pair of sweethearts torn apart by the Hunger Games. A betrothed pair that never got to marry because the boy had been slain. While she and Cana hadn't been in a romantic relationship at all, Maize missed him constantly. She couldn't see Ollie playing with her brother without seeing Cana's face overlap his younger brother's. Climbing the trees in the orchard reminded her of Cana. The stars at night reminded her of him.

Home reminded her of him.

Sometimes the younger boy's last painful moments on earth cut her deeply and stole the breath from her lungs. The way his eyes had stared unseeingly and blank. Sometimes she couldn't help but feel that he'd left her behind.

"But if you loved me/ Why'd you leave?/ Take my body/ Take my body..." the chorus came out in a pain-filled whisper. Maize rubbed the errant tears from her eyes and took a deep breath in before deciding another song may be easier to sing at the moment since she couldn't get the words out her lips without crying.

"I walked across an empty land/ I knew the pathway like the back of my hand/ I felt the earth beneath my feet/ Sat by the river, and it made me complete..." Maize's smile was full of nostalgia as she lightly swayed, "Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?/ I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on/ So tell me when you're gonna let me in/ I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin..."

The sun had disappeared more than halfway on the horizon now, it's last golden rays barely kissing the earth. "I come across a fallen tree/ I felt the branches of it looking at me/ Is this the place we used to Love?/ Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?" Birch joined in as he sat down by her side.

"Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?/ I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on/ So tell me when you're gonna let me in/ I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin..." the siblings harmonized together, smiles painting both of their expressions before Maize pulled Birch into a teasing hug as danced her fingers across his sensitive ribs.

"Stooop!" Birch laughed as she tickled his ribs one final time, "Mom says dinner's ready."

Maize smiled, "Well, then what are waiting for?" she asked as she stood up and hauled Birch up onto his feet, "Race ya!" she shouted as she sprinted for the house leaving her brother behind.

"That's not fair!" Birch shouted behind her, "Cheater!"

Her bō staff smacked harshly against Seeder's own as the force forced them apart. They'd been sparring for the last fifteen minutes and Maize was already starting to feel winded, though that could be blamed on all of the exercises she'd done before going to Seeder's home for a spar.

"Time!" Seeder called as she lowered her bō and downed a glass of water.

Maize stretched out her limbs and grabbed her own glass before wiping away the sweat from her face with the bottom of her shirt. Her mother was probably making lunch now and would send one of her younger siblings to fetch her for the afternoon meal soon. All of the constant meals had really improved her family's health. Her siblings no longer went to bed hungry some nights and were gaining the weight they needed to be youngest twins would never suffer from the effects of malnourishment, while Lilac and Hibis were already resembling the toddlers she remembered from her first life... all pudgy and carefree.

"I heard you singing last night."

"Oh?" Maize hummed somewhat embarrassed, "Sorry, was I too loud?"

Seeder shook her head, "No, but it got me thinking."

Maize eyed her Mentor curiously, "About what?"

"The Victory Tour."

She didn't even try to keep the distaste from her face, "Why?"

"Because," the woman sighed, "that can be your skill. Music."

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**Words 1505**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty-Two:**_ Skill (pt.2)_

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"Music?" Maize murmured, "What- I, how would that work?"

Seeder gestured for Maize to follow her into the kitchen, "Every Victor needs to showcase a special skill or talent. Because of our status as Victors, we are no longer _required_ to work, the Capitol has come to expect that we take up an activity. You'll be interviewed on it during the Tour. And you do have a beautiful voice Maize..."

"But singing?" the teen reiterated nervously, "Would that be enough?"

The woman nodded, "My talent is poetry Maize. With your voice, singing would be more than enough." Seeder eyed Maize's nervous form, "If you would like, we can try and find someone to teach you an instrument."

When Maize was Juliana her _papi_ had shown her how to play his _guitara_ after an evening of lively music. Her first parents had been in charge of providing the music during mass and it was something they'd done with great love and gusto. Her younger self had loved learning to play the instrument and she'd even brought the acoustic guitar he'd gifted her everywhere. That was perhaps what she'd missed the most from her life. Strumming the strings as her fingers moved across the elegant neck to form chords.

"Wh-What kind of instruments?" Maize blurted out.

Seeder eyed Maize curiously, "Any that you want."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose shyly, "Do you think that I can play the guitar?"

The woman shot her a warm smile, "I'll make sure of it."

And Seeder did. Three days after their conversation Seeder presented Maize with an acoustic guitar and sheet music for beginners. In a few weeks, someone from the Capitol would come to give her some in-person lessons that would eventually turn into some sort of video-call music lessons. For now, though, Maize needed to get her fingers used to the unique pain forming on the tip of, well, her fingertips so they'd form calluses. She practiced in the few moments of her day where she was alone, rediscovering songs from her first life and adapting others from her new one.

By the time her teacher, a gold-skinned man named Leto, arrived Maize's fingers had mostly stopped hurting when she formed chords. Leto had been impressed by Maize's self-study, something he fawned over in addition to her status as a Victor. He showed her new techniques that'd been developed and introduced pieces that were popular in the Capitol.

Maize was more than happy when Leto left two weeks later. It had been more than a little uncomfortable to house a Capitolite in their home. Baba had quietly seethed the entire time the man was in the house, her mama hadn't really known how to handle the strange man in their presence either. Birch had been decisively bitter with Leto's presence, he'd told her that for a moment he'd _forgotten_ that Maize would have to _leave_ once more. Brier and Piper gave Leto a wide berth whenever they saw him and often joined Birch in his endeavor to avoid the man. Her youngest siblings only eyed the man like he was one of the most strange individuals they'd ever met, much like they had treated Goldie before she went back to the Capitol.

Leto, while passionate for his music and craft, had been Capitolite through and through. The fake gold tint of his skin was but a small part of his overall appearance, his hair was neon orange, and his eyes, somehow, an unnatural shade of burnt orange. He was very effeminate in nature and had bragged about his conductor boyfriend -_Baba had not looked happy when he heard-_ waiting for his return in the Capitol. Apparently, Leto's man, Iggy, was very jealous and proud that Maize was being taught to play the guitar by his paramour.

The guitar instructor's overall personality was similar to that of Maize's prep team... Passionate, overly touchy, patriotic, enthused with the Hunger Games, blind to the suffering of the Districts, naive, and a bit of an airhead. Harmless. A bit _annoying_, but harmless in the end.

Somehow, slowly, the rest of the District learned of Maize's new talent. Maize blamed Birch and Ollie. The two preteens could not be trusted to keep their mouths shut. Even Brier and Piper could be trusted more... though, if Maize was being fair, Birch did _know_ how to keep a secret if he'd been instructed to, her brother had never said a word to anyone about Amla's pregnancy and had helped their cousin like she'd asked when Maize volunteered for her. And it wasn't like Maize had explicitly asked the boys to keep it quiet.

Still, it had thrown Maize for a loop when a month and a half after she picked up the guitar Fern, the younger sister of her childhood friend Edelwyse, asked her to bring the instrument to the grotto. Hand-carved flutes and homemade drums were the more common instruments in District 11, there was maybe one other guitar player in the entire District and he was a part of the mayor's family. Apparently the other fruit pickers had decided that it would be wonderful if Maize played the guitar whilst they sang. And Maize, being Maize, couldn't tell Fern 'no.' Especially when Birch, her sisters, and Ollie all looked up at her hopefully.

That was how Maize found herself sitting on a stump and nervously tuning the acoustic guitar as the other fruit pickers on lunch break surrounded her excitedly. Maize eyes the two taskmasters in the vicinity, though the men wouldn't raise a hand to stop them since it wasn't like anyone was putting off work to hear her.

"So, what song did you all have in mind Fern?" Maize asked the curly-haired girl.

Excited dark brown eyes locked onto her own, "Have you learned any of the working songs?"

Maize sent the younger girl an amused grin, "It was the first thing I tried to learn."

"What about 'Wolf,' can you play that one?" a thirteen-year-old boy that her brother played with when they were younger named Moss asked excitedly.

She hummed the tune under her breath as her fingers quickly found themselves in the right positions. That was one of the songs she'd learned to play first since it was one of Amla's favorites. Yarrow, a teen a year younger than Maize, grabbed an empty peck basket and turned it upside down and began beating against it rhythmically to the beat.

"Wolf mother, where you been?/ You look so worn, so thin," Maize started before being quickly joined in by other enthusiastic voices, "You're a taker, devil's maker/ Let me hear you sing/ Hey ya, hey ya!/ Wolf father, at the door/ You don't smile anymore/ You're a drifter, shapeshifter/ Let me see you run/ Hey ya, hey ya!"

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	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty-Three:**_ Honesty_

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The acoustic guitar became a permanent fixture to Maize's afternoons after that. Maize would bring her guitar to the groves every day. She would play a couple of song requests during their lunch break, always careful not to go over the time so that the taskmasters would not get involved with them. Yarrow and two other boys ended up bringing their homemade drums to the groves to accompany the guitar, while fourteen-year-old Harvest Dawnbloom would bring her wooden flute. It was needless to say that their afternoon jam sessions became somewhat infamous for all of the fruit pickers.

With every session, Maize lost any lingering shyness when it came to performing. Playing for her fellow peers had become something that Maize could immerse herself in and forget her troubles for a while. Seeder and Chaff had both been impressed when Maize actually sang and played them a song with the guitar. The Victory Tour would be in another three months, around the time in which Amla is supposed to give birth. It was something that made Maize nervous over, especially since her cousin was set on her being present during the birth and coaching Amla through it.

Maize's training was also going well. She'd built up a considerable amount of muscle compared to how skinny and malnourished her body had once been. Baba had actually confronted her the day before over the matter, the answer he'd received surprised them both, for different reasons.

_"You are no longer in the Games, Maize. I don' understand why you are doin' this?" her father sighed as if the weight of the world were resting on his shoulders. Maize knew that it had been bothering him and mama for a while, she'd seen it in the way that they watched her._

_"Because it's not safe." Maize blurted out in a whisper, despite her siblings and mama being asleep._

_The head of the Galloshire family eyed her warily, "What are you talkin' about? You've won your Games, Maize, after the Tour you will be safe. Much safer than your brothers and sisters."_

_Maize shook her head, "I'm sorry baba... but they'll _never_ leave me alone now." a small tired sigh escaped from her lips, "Things will never be the same, the Capitol will always _own_ some part of me. The Hunger Games was only the beginnin'. It's like this for all of the 'Victors' of the Games." she stated bluntly before adding in a softer tone, "Some _suffer_ more than others."_

_"_What_ do you know?" his dark eyes felt like they were piercing through Maize's soul._

_"You can't tell mama."_

_His eyes narrowed, "Speak to me, Maize."_

_"Promise me first." Maize insisted, "Promise me. Promise me that you won't tell mama."_

_The man breathed out slowly, from experience Maize knew he was trying not to yell at her, "I promise. _Now_, what do you know?"_

_"More than I should." Maize admitted before whispering in a quieter voice, after all, they may be in their house_ -their new home-_ but the Capitol could have it bugged, "They will make me do things, baba. Seeder says they always make the _pretty_ ones do it... like that Victor from 4, but for _girls_ they- we don't have a choice."_

_Her baba's expression was enraged as he breathed out heavily, "Maize. Tell me it is _not_ what I am thinkin'?"_

_Maize looked away from him for a moment, "Baba, when _he _calls me I will have to go and do what he says. If I don't... I will not let them _hurt_ you, or our family... Not like they did to Seeder's."_

_Alder Galloshire, her baba, practically _wilted_ in defeat though his clenched fists still trembled with his anger. His dark brown eyes were shut and his brows furrowed as a scowl painted his lips. Maize stared at the man who had been dutifully raising her alongside her mama, through no fault of his own he was not on the same level of intelligence her papi had once been, but he was just as clever and loyal. She couldn't imagine how painful it must be for a parent to hear that he cannot prevent the suffering of his children. That he must sit idly by whilst his child sacrifices herself to protect the rest of their family. How _powerless_ he must feel._

_Was it wrong of her to pity her father? There is so much he doesn't know, so much she will never tell him -_to protect him and the rest of her family_\- secrets that would die with her._

_"Keep trainin'." he spoke finally, "Do the same with your brother and sisters. It may give them a fightin' chance if the worst comes..." her baba paused before bringing Maize into a hug, his arms were warm and comforting around her, "Do not let _them_\- you will_ always_ be my baby girl. My first child- my sweet, strange, smart girl."_

_Maize returned the hug just as fiercely as stinging tears trickled down her cheeks, "I love you, baba."_

_A bearded kiss was pressed onto her forehead, "I love you too..."_

_When Maize walked away, shadows bouncing off the walls and floors with every step she made towards her bedroom, she heard her father's broken whisper, "Forgive me, _nisamehe_... I'm so sorry, motto. _Samahani, samahani..._"_

_Her heart... it felt like it was shattering with his._

It had never really been Maize's intention to actually come _clean_ to her parents about what would happen to her after the Victory Tour. She'd wanted to shield them from the pain of not being able to protect her, to keep the illusion that they could keep their children safe even after almost losing their eldest to the Hunger Games. That was why Maize couldn't help but feel some sort of selfish _relief_ that her baba now _knew. _Knew what may be in Maize's future. That she wasn't alone carrying that burden on her shoulders -_she was already carrying so much guilt as it were, she'd murdered a child, a teenager, a boy who would never go home_\- her father was shouldering the weight beside her.

She felt so much less _alone_ now.

When Maize was little, and whined over her lack of height, baba would proudly carry her on his shoulders as if she were his tiny queen _reaching_ her place amongst the clouds... For the first time since the initial realization she'd had after winning the Hunger Games, Maize felt like she could breathe. Like she was her baba's weightless child, one that even with all the foreknowledge she'd had, couldn't even mentally conceive of the sins she was carrying now.

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	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty-Four:**_ Showcase_

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The dreaded day had finally arrived.

She'd barely managed to get any sleep the night before, something that seemed to have also plagued both of her parents. Brier and Piper had crawled into Maize's bed around eleven and Birch not even an hour after that, though they had slept through the rest of the night. Her youngest siblings had picked up on the apprehension wafting off the rest of them and were a bit cranky this morning. Amla and Thorn were equally antsy as they flitted about the kitchen and spoke softly to one another.

Seeder had joined them for breakfast, giving Maize and her family the support they would need to handle the incoming Capitolites. Chaff would be making his way over soon and was probably still getting dressed, her male Mentor had been very good to Maize's father. Inviting him over every Saturday evening for drinks and answering any questions her baba had about the Capitol.

Maize was prepared. She knew exactly how this would go down. Still... the nerves ate at her. She just wanted to get the whole ordeal over with... and it was just the fucking beginning! After presenting her talent she would still need to go to every District and address the families of the fallen tributes.

_Breathe._ Maize was fine. Just fine. Seeder and Chaff will be by her side the entire time. She wouldn't be facing the wolves on her own. Maize still jumped when the doorbell began ringing insistently not three minutes into clearing off the table.

_Breathe. _Seeder was the first to move, the entire Galloshire family seemingly frozen in their places, as she opened the door.

"Oh! Seeder, dear! I've missed your company so much my dear!" Goldie's exuberant tones wafted from the door as the pink-skinned Capitolite barged through the foyer. "Maize! Oh, you look wonderful!" the escort crowed when she caught sight of her. The woman's hair was a dark green color now and was up in a complicated looking do as she sashayed her way over to Maize. The woman pulled her into a small hug before blowing Maize air kisses as she smiled her glittery green lips in the direction of the weary-looking family.

"Oh my!" Circo gasped as he walked in behind the escort, "How quaint!"

Her prep team was as _colorful_ as she'd remembered them. The three Capitolites were quick to surround her, mostly ignoring her family in favor of inspecting Maize for flaws. Tesoro sighed despairingly at Maize's 'crocodile skin' before complaining that she hadn't been keeping up with the moisturizing routine. Circo eyed Maize's less than perfect nails and shakes his head, while Yurida quietly despaired over the split ends in Maize's hair. Maize only internally sighed and sent her parents a reassuring smile over the Capiolites heads... though her mama did look slightly offended at the comments and her baba did _not _look happy about the two strangely dressed men crowding his daughter.

Thankfully Orion was more respectful about the whole matter as he cleared his team away before pulling Maize into a quick gentle hug, "Hello darling, you look wonderful! Very fit!" The man's eyes, an unnatural golden shade she saw Birch blanch at, were still as piercing as Maize had remembered them as his gaze took in her form. "Though you haven't grown at all." he teased lightly, his pale grey-painted lips pulled up.

Maize mock glared at the stylist, "We both _know_ that I won't be getting any taller Orion, it's nothing a pair of heels can't fix right?" she threw the words the man had once told her.

Orion let out a joyful laugh, "Oh, darling, you _do_ listen!"

The next hour or so was spent in a way similar to that of her time in the Remake Center, though this time, her entire family was subject to the unwanted makeover. Interviewing the new Victor's family was a pretty standard procedure during the tour, and apparently all of the Capitol was enamored with Maize's siblings after witnessing their reunion six months ago. That was also the reason her heavily pregnant cousin and her husband were in their home.

"Alright," Goldie tittered, "let's go over it once more my dear, you'll sit right here," the woman indicated to the beautifully decorated living room where Maize's guitar was waiting to be played, "introduce your talent and then sing your... song. Cupid's crew will be conducting the interviews in the study. Remember, my dear, wide smiles, and don't forget to enunciate! Seeder's told me all about how you've been practicing, oh this is so exciting!"

Maize nodded robotically as she tried to arrange herself in an elegant manner on the chair. It was a bit difficult since she was wearing a short black dress with silver stars printed on it that flared at her waist, and Maize would rather die than accidentally flash all of Panem while she played the guitar. At least the black boots she was wearing went all the way up to her knees. Maize's hair and nails had been immaculately done by the enthusiastic prep team followed the same theme of stars. Chaff had snorted softly before whispering in her ear that Orion was sure that Maize would become an actual star after performing... Maize would rather that she _not._

Cupid, the cameraman, and director in charge of filming her during the tour gave her the three-minute warning -it really only served to send Maize's heart into a panic than get Goldie and the prep team out of the shot. Orion was the one who had to shoo them out of the way since Seeder and Chaff were coaching her nervous family through their interviews.

"Oh, its time!" Goldie chirruped as a hologram of Ceasar Flickerman came to life on the wall and began to narrate to the cheering crowds in the Capitol in front of the glowing phrase 'VICTORY TOUR' with Maize's image by it. Great. Maize breathed in and out before plastering a soft excited grin -_that she'd practiced for hours with Seeder_\- as Cupid motioned that they were live.

"Here she is ladies and gentlemen!" Ceasar announced joyfully, "Our Victor of the 70th Hunger Games! Maize, my dear, how are you!?"

A demure giggle escaped from her lips, as if Maize couldn't contain her mirth, "Oh, just wonderful Ceasar! I'm so excited to show everyone what I've been working on!"

Cesar let out an excited laugh, "Not as excited as we are! Right folks?" the man gestured to the audience that let out a roaring cheer, "So, tell us, Maize! What wonderful talent will you be showcasing for us, on this historic first day of your Victory Tour?"

Maize smiled shyly as her face pinked, "Well, Ceasar, how about I just show you instead? Just go easy on me, I'm still a novice." she added with a mischievous wink before gently lifting the guitar, that up until that moment had been out of the screen, onto her lap.

She could hear the crowd in the Capitol gasping in excitement and see Ceasar's eager expression from the hologram image as Maize hummed the first note of the song before strumming the first chords and singing.

"I close my eyes and I can see/ A world that's waiting up for me/ that I call my own.../ Through the dark, through the door./ Through where no one's been before./ But it feels like home..." Maize allowed her eyes to shut as she let the music wash over her, "They can say, they can say, it all sounds crazy./ They can say, they can say I've lost my mind./ I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy./ We can live in a world that we design."

She smiled opening her eyes and staring right into the lens of the camera as if the words to this song were dedicated to the Capitol alone, "'Cause every night I lie in bed./ The brightest colors fill my head./ A million dreams are keeping me awake./ I think of what the world be./ A vision of the one I see./ A million dreams is all it's gonna take/ Oh, a million dreams for the world we're gonna make!"

Cheers erupted from the other end of the line, but Maize ignored them and continued on, her fingers dancing across the neck of the guitar and her voice strong. "There's a house we can build/ Every room inside is filled./ With things from far away./ The special things I compile./ Each one there to make you smile,/ on a rainy day./ They can say, they can say, it all sounds crazy./ They can say, they can say we've lost our minds./ I don't care, I don't care, if they call us crazy./ Runaway to a world that we design!"

Maize looked off towards the room where her family was being interviewed, the recordings would air in the morning. She would miss them all terribly, especially with the journey she was about to embark on.

"Every night I lie in bed./ The brightest colors fill my head./ A million dreams are keeping me awake./ I think of what the world be./ A vision of the one I see./ A million dreams is all it's gonna take/ Oh, a million dreams for the world we're gonna make!" she sang the chorus out passionately before her voice tapered off into a quieter tone, "However big, however small./ Let me be part of it all./ Share your dreams with me./ You may be right, you may be wrong./ But say that you'll bring me along./ To the world you see./ To the world I close my eyes to see./ I close my eyes to see!"

Her fingers danced as she changed the chords before repeating the chorus once more in a wistful tone before repeating the last phrase twice without the accompaniment of her guitar, "For the world we're gonna make."

The applause would have been more than deafening if she had actually been on that stage with Ceasar. Maize smiled, panting softly out of breath. Goldie, Orion and his prep team stared at Maize with wonder and wide smiles as they clapped quietly to themselves.

"WOW!" Ceasar crowed, "Just WOW! Absolutely amazing! Wasn't she folks! Just beautiful! I think we'll want a repeat performance one she gets here, won't we folks!" the host asked as he faced his crowd. The Capitolites cheered wildly.

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**Words 1800**

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_(This chapter is dedicated to Kristin. -I still can't believe you're reading this.)_


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty-Five:**_ Victory Tour (pt.1)_

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The second Ceasar signed off and the cameras were out of Maize's face she finally relaxed, well for a moment since Maize found herself surrounded by her 'team' of Capitolites as they praised and gushed over her talent. Goldie was the first to get ahold of herself as she started to usher everyone out of the house, they were on a schedule after all. Maize gave brief goodbyes to her family, the real ones had been said the night before, before letting herself be corraled by Seeder and Chaff towards the train station.

"Dear, I made sure that the train was stocked with those shakes you're so fond of, nothing but the best for _our_ star!" Goldie chirped as she flitted around the train car, "I know the schedule is a bit _daunting_, Maize, but not to worry-"

"Yes," Seeder interrupted, her voice calm as ever, "you did exceptionally well during the showcase, _mtoto_." the woman praised.

Chaff chuckled as he gestured to Maize with his half-empty glass of whiskey, "Serious set of pipes this one has!"

"Young Miss Galloshire is full of surprises." Orion agreed. Maize fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat, smiling awkwardly at the adults staring at her consideringly.

"Thank you." she murmured before quickly changing the subject, "We're starting in 12 right?"

Goldie bobbed her head eloquently, "Yes we'll be there in three hours or so, a car will take us to the square. The mayor will introduce you to the crowds, and _then_ you'll say a few words."

Maize nodded. This wasn't the first time she'd gone over what would happen during the Tour, Maize had months to bombard both of her Mentors with questions, but she'd rather go over it for the millionth time than talk about her _talent_ any longer. Singing was something she loved and enjoyed, making it her _talent_ tainted it a little since she now had to _share_ it with the Capitol. But that didn't mean that she had to talk about it when she didn't _have_ to.

"I believe the tributes from 12 _both_ died during the bloodbath." Goldie pondered carelessly, "What were their names?"

"The male's name was Dustin." Chaff offered, "Haymitch complained about him more than once. The girl's name... _Ivory_, I think."

Seeder nodded, "Ivory Hearth and Dustin Keenlock."

"Yes, well, it's customary to give a _brief_ eulogy for the fallen tributes... but you don't really need to worry about that. You'll just need to read the cards I've prepared for you, dear, oh, _and_ wave, don't forget to smile and wave!"

"Right." Maize smiled tensely.

Orion stood up and stretched before extending his hand towards her, "Come, darling, it's time to start getting you ready."

She was tired already.

It was only the beginning.

"Ladies and Gentlemen the Victor of the 70th Hunger Games, Maize Galloshire!" the Mayor of 12 announced as the doors of District 12's Justice Building was opened by Peacekeepers. Maize walked out onto the small stage more confidently than she actually felt, taking in the sea of pale faces staring up at her.

The residents of District 12 looked like the paler counterparts of her own District, thin and bony faces with haunted _-sunken-_ eyes. Just like in 11, children had been gathered towards the front of the crowds while the families of the deceased were fenced off to the side in a separate area with banners indicating which tribute the family had lost. Ivory Hearth had left behind a broken looking woman that she assumed had been her mother and a frail sobbing little brother. Dustin Keenlock's family was a bit larger, with two grieving parents an older teen girl, and a tiny pale brown-haired boy that resembled the fallen tribute greatly.

Maize looked at the two families for a moment longer as the very mild applause the crowd had -_most likely been forced to_\- released faded, compassion and guilt enveloping her before glancing down at the cards Goldie had given her on the ride to the bleak-looking Justice Building.

"Thank you." Maize stated clearly as she spewed out the Capitol propaganda on the cards, "I feel honored to be standing here with you on this auspicious today. To the grieving families and friends of this District's fallen tributes, Dustin and Ivory," Maize spoke softly as she eyes both families respectively as she ignored the more flowery and Capitol bullshit that Goldie had prepared, "I offer my sincerest condolences. Though I did not know your children very well, their loss will forever be remembered by the people they touched and interacted with in life."

She paused for a moment smoothing down the silky pantsuit she was wearing with one hand as she swallowed the bile rising up in her throat and looking away from the grieving families to the crowds, "Thanks to the generosity of the Capitol and it's beautiful citizens, I am able to stand before you today in Victory." withholding a pained sigh, Maize stretched a _fakefakefake_ grin on her face as she ended the small speech with the signature phrase, "Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever."

As the crowd gave their false applause Maize froze as her eyes made out the slim form of a brunet girl, probably around Birch's age, with pricing grey eyes locked onto her form. The thin girl's hair had been done up in intricate braids as she leaned against an equally olive-skinned boy with similar dark hair and eyes. A tiny blonde slip of child, with beautiful braids of her own, was clutching the older girl's hand tightly as she eyed the peacekeepers nervously. Maize shot the tiny blonde a kind smile when the girl made eye contact with her before allowing the sleazy looking mayor of 12 to escort her inside.

In the privacy of her mind, Maize wondered if the grey-eyed child that had been staring her down was the Mockingjay attending the ceremony with her little sister... Maize put it out of mind as she was corraled by slightly chastising Goldie -_"Really, dear, what was wrong with reading from the cards?"-_ to her proud looking Mentors. Orion and her prep team seemed to be patting themselves on the back for their beautiful designs as they prattled about what they would be dressing her in for the party.

Joy.

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**Words 10_80_**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty-Six:**_ Victory Tour (pt.2)_

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The next five days follow the same pattern. Wake up, be fussed at by the prep team before being dolled up and dressed, step off the train, be greeted by falsely cheering crowds, give pretty much the _same_ speech before being hauled off by her team to change her outfit once more and attend the fancy dinners being hosted by the 'elite' members of each District. When the train slowed to a stop on the sixth day Maize was nauseous and more than a little anxious about this particular stop. She'd had an active role in the death of the male tribute of this District. Her nightmares were plagued by his face and the canon that'd gone off after she kicked him off her. Maize was terrified to see the boy's family today. To see their accusing glares and _hatred_ because she had _lived_ where their son had been _murdered_.

She'd barely slept the night before, maybe only an hour or two in total. Maize had only relaxed when Seeder had come in to check on her and the woman had joined her on the bed. Promising to keep watch and wake her if it looked like a nightmare was plaguing her. Even now Seeder stood by her side. Still, Maize felt anxiety thrumming through her veins as she waited behind the heavy looking doors of District 6's Justice Building.

With -_fakefakefake-_ confidence Maize approached the mike on the stage as the mayor finished introducing her to the unenthusiastic crowd. A fake smile pulled on the corners of her lips as she began her speech, though her eyes never seemed to stray too far from the podium where Gear Lowdust's small family was sobbing. An unbelievable amount of guilt was choking her from the inside, though Maize refused to let it show on her face. It was a relief when Maize was escorted back inside and the doors were closed since she practically collapsed onto the ground.

Silent sobs shook her frame as her eyes burned with unshed tears. Maize allowed the weakness to take her for another moment as Goldie flitted around nervously while Seeder pulled her into a comforting hug. "I'm fine..." Maize croaked out as she excused herself, "I guess the stress is finally hitting me."

Goldie bobbed her head as if she understood, "No worries my dear! We're at the _halfway_ point now!"

That didn't really help.

At all.

At least Goldie attempted to comfort her in the only way the woman knew how. Maize sent the escort a strained smile as she carefully rubbed the tears from her cheeks.

"Come, let's freshen up your face!" Circo chirruped as Seeder helped her up. Maize sent Seeder a look as she allowed herself to be dragged by the prep team into another room. Orion quietly commenting that Maize would simply love her dress for the party in the evening in his attempt to alleviate the mood.

Her trip to District 5 wasn't nearly as difficult. From what she'd been able to see of District 4 had been beautiful. She'd missed the ocean with a ferocity that'd initially surprised her for a moment when Maize -_finally-_ caught a whiff of the intoxicating smell of the sea. Though she'd had to swallow any guilt when she saw that there was only an ancient-looking grandmother standing under the banner with Annie's name. The old woman had a wrinkled old hand clutched to the front of her dress and an infinitely sad expression on her aged face. Annie should have lived but Maize's family would forever be grateful that she had come out of the arena, Cana's family was grateful that she'd come out alive. Maize had carefully avoided looking at Waverly's family after catching a glimpse of an identical boy to that of the deceased District 4 tribute. District 3 had been... _different_, she hadn't seen that _much_ technology out of the Capitol, though she spent the majority of the evening silently dreading the next day.

District 2 was beautiful in a very _unique_ way. There was very little green in the form of plant life since it was located in a mountain range, the mountains themselves were very eyecatching as opposed to the bleak colored stone buildings of the District. The people were so _very_ different from those of her own District, none of them looked as if they'd ever gone hungry a day in their lives, they were all clean and well dressed as some of them stared up at her admiringly _or_ with clear distaste.

Tiberius Shimmer's family stared at her with thinly veiled contempt and hatred from their spots. Maize refused to flinch or falter under their glares as she recited the speech Goldie had prepared for her. Tiberius had gotten his strong and intimidating build from his father and the more delicate features of his face from his mother. The only member of the family whose grief was evident on their face was the teenage girl standing in between her parents. Maize didn't even bother looking at the other podium where the deceased female tribute's family was watching her with piercing eyes.

The amount of Peacekeepers in the District rivaled with the number in her own, though for _vastly_ different reasons. District 2 was known for having the training facility for Peacekeepers in its borders, some of the Peacekeepers were even volunteers _from_ the District. Meanwhile, the large amount of Peacekeepers in her own District had been strategically placed there to oppress and better control her people.

That didn't absolve the guilt or self-hatred in her heart.

Tiberius had killed _Cana_.

And Maize had _killed_ him in return.

She'd committed the grave sin of taking another's life. A child's, no matter how _misguided_ he'd been. She was a _murderer_. The one thing that Maize would never be able to forgive herself for... even if it had been in self-defense and in an attempt to protect Cana... because in the end her hands were stained red _-in a way that would never wash off-_ and she'd utterly _failed_ her District partner as well.

Seeder and Chaff had practically guarded her away from the merry party-goers that evening. Something that Maize would be eternally grateful for since she wouldn't have been able to keep her mask up if the elite of District 2 had bombarded her with questions on her time -_and how it felt to take the life of one of District 2's strongest cadets-_ in the arena.

When she finally finished her tour in District 1 the next day Maize allowed herself to relax for a moment. At least that part of her nightmare was over and done with. Of course, her relief was quickly chased away by Goldie's and the stylists' glee at _finally_ getting back to the Capitol.

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**Words 1135**

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(I meant to post this chapter a while ago! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, favorites, and follows! It makes me so happy to know that there are other people who still love this aging fandom!)


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty-Seven:**_ Victory Tour (pt.3)_

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Maize felt a wave of deja vu engulf her. A plastic grin stretched across her cheeks as she waved at a raving Capitolite screaming her name at the platform of the train station. The other colorful residents of the Capitol on the platform writhed against one another, pushing each other out of the way to get a better view of the newest -_victim-_ Victor. Six months ago, Cana had been panicking, feeling sick to his stomach really, about the crowds waiting for them outside of the train. She could hear his fervent claim -_"It's _not_ going to be okay."-_ ringing in the recesses of her mind.

Six months later and she was still agreeing with Cana.

She moved leisurely away from the window and to Seeder's side. Her mentor looked so _unhappy_. The older woman had become Maize's pillar of inner strength for months. She and Chaff had helped Maize rebuild herself from her experience in the arena. They were the only ones that could truly sympathize with her over the horrors of the Capitol. The only people in her District who had truly experienced the full-fledged _"glory"_ of the Capitol _-lived-_ and were still standing by her side today. Maize would not be here without them.

She'd had more than one late-night conversation with Seeder over the last six months over what to expect when they reached the Capitol at the end of the Victory Tour. The woman had looked completely hopeless -_as if Maize were a sacrificial lamb_\- while explaining what would most likely happen when the grand party at President Snow's mansion started in the evening. Seeder and Chaff hadn't wanted anything to surprise Maize, especially not in front of the piercing eyes of the Capitolites that would be watching her every move.

Chaff had taken over explaining the ins-and-outs of the party. He gave detailed descriptions of the banquet hall and gardens that the party would be hosted in. Chaff described the sheer amount of attention that would be on Maize with horrifying clarity, even if a twinge of sympathy and pity were present in his tone, never downplaying what he'd gone through or _seen_ other Victors experience. Maize would be pulled into countless dances by the most elite members of the Capitol, and Maize would _have to_ dance with them. Lest she accidentally offends the wrong person. People would carelessly touch her, as if she were an object with no autonomy, with reverence and it would be in Maize's best interest to smile and pretend like their touch wouldn't make a curl of disgust pulse through her.

Maize had barely been able to hold off the scream of anger when Chaff had explained the purpose of a _special_ drink called _defaeco_. The clear liquid would be in shot glasses at the end of all the banquet tables, their purpose was to _purge,_ making the consumer vomit almost immediately, the food from one's stomach after they got full so that the partygoers could continue eating. Where people in the Districts were starving to death every day, the Capitolites would drink _defaeco_ to eat more. It _disgusted_ Maize to no end. Chaff had heavily sympathized with her anger -_and saddness- _which was one of the reasons why he'd told her about it _before_ they would even arrive at the party. Apparently, Chaff had _not_ taken it well at the party at all, one of his siblings had died from starvation when they were children. He'd made a scene, and the remainder of his family had paid for it with their lives.

Seeder. Seeder's conversation leaned more to what would eventually happen at some point of the festivity. President Snow would call for her presence in his private office and Maize would allow herself to be led inside. He would ask for her services, whatever it was that he wanted, and Maize would say yes. She would say yes. She would say _yes._ And her family would _live._

Numb. Maize felt numb as she climbed down the steps of the train, one hand being braced by Chaff's before he offers his elbow like a gentleman. Seeder was at his other side, her arm around the stump in a natural way that spoke of the years that her mentors had played this game. Maize smiled demurely at the crowds, winking coquettishly once at the camera filming the event before ignoring the cameras altogether and following her stylist crew into the Remake Center.

Her stylists were quick to retouch all of the work they'd done over the last week. Applying creams to her skin after washing off the makeup caked to her face, before redoing the makeup in a more pale blue shade and her lips a soft glossy pink color. This time she was wearing pale blue tulle lace dress _-something that she only knew because Circo and Tesoro had repeated the phrase a million times over the last half hour-_ that had a flower pattern with buttons going up from the waist up to the collar. A fancy anklet that looked like a vine with flowers in the same shade of the dress was perched around her left ankle, and a matching bracelet on her right hand. Yurida had done her hair in half braids so that while her hair was out of her face her curls still bounced around with every step she took.

Orion was more than pleased with the overall look as they were escorted to town cars to take them to the Training Center. After all, they didn't want anyone to catch a glimpse before Maize had her interview with Caesar. Seeder and Chaff were also looking fancy in their new outfits as they sat down in the expensive-looking vehicle. Seeder sent her a small smile, making some of the tension on Maize's shoulders dissipate. The car drove all the way into the Training Center, the driver expertly avoiding the crowds.

Goldie had quickly taken the lead as she led them through the familiar building and towards the stage area where Caesar Flickerman was eagerly waiting for their arrival. There was a small live audience that Maize could already hear tittering excitedly while the stylists and Orion took their seats in the crowds. Chaff and Seeder would get on stage first. Caesar would have a ten-minute interview with her mentors before she would be given her cue to go on. The Capitolite must have coordinated with Orion since his hair color was in the same shade as Maize's dress. Maize leaned against the wall in an almost peaceful manner as she watched Caeser finish up his interview with Seeder and Chaff.

A man wearing headsets approached her side and motioned for her to get on the stage as Seeder and Chaff exited, waving off cheers from the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, our Victor of the 70th Hunger Games, Maize Galloshire!"

Maize languidly made her way across the stage, her gaze firmly on Caesar as a small smile played on the corner of her lips. She only looked at the crowd once to send them a _'secretive'_ smile and wink before hugging Caesar in greeting and allowing herself to be led to the comfy couch and sit.

"Maize, darling, how are you?" Caesar grinned widely as he patted her hand in an excited manner, "I just _need_ to tell you how much I _loved_ your performance, my dear!"

She sent the man a demure grin as her cheeks colored, "Oh, thank you, Caesar! I was so nervous to share my talent with you all!"

The host chuckled good-naturedly, "No reason to be nervous with us, dear, right?" he turned to the crowd who cheered wildly, "Darling, I just can't believe that you picked up the guitar in _six_ months. Did you hear that folks! Six months! It looks like we may have a prodigy on our hands!"

Her grin took on a more shy look as she peered up at Caeser from under her lashes, "Oh, I wouldn't say that. I still have a long way to go, but with practice, I hope to one day play as well as my teacher Leto."

"So modest! I _love_ it!" Caeser gushed, making the crowd titter, "Leto must be very proud of you! Not to mention your _family!"_ he emphasized, "Darling, tell us, how is your family? We all saw that adorable reunion you had with your brothers and sisters six months ago... I don't know about you-" he turned to the crowd, "but my heart just about melted when your brother jumped over the fence and threw his arms around you."

Cheers of agreement and _"Aww's" _filled the air as a short recap clip of the reunion played on a screen behind them. A genuine smile graced Maize's face.

"They are just wonderful! I missed them so much when I was away, I miss them even now! Though, I missed your wonderful company as well Caeser!" she teased with a wink.

The man threw his head back with a laugh as the audience copied his jovial mood, "So cheeky, my dear! And your cousin, darling? Sweet Amla, whom you volunteered for? We were all thrilled to learn she was expecting during her interview."

"Amla is well!" Maize bobbed her head happily as she pictured Amla in her mind, "I'm just hoping that I'll be by her side soon! She asked _me_ to be her midwife. I'm so excited to become an Auntie!"

The crowd "_Aww'd"_ predictably.

Caeser let out a chuckle, "I can only imagine! How does it feel like to be back at the Capitol my dear? Here where your status as a Victor was cemented?"

A -_false-_ gentle smile pulled on the corner of her lips as she faced the audience, "I'm just _so_ happy to be here with you all once again!"

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**Words 1676**

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**(**I apologize for the long wait! I've been very busy with school, as I started college again this semester. I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter! Stay safe and have a Happy Holloween this Saturday!)


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